Don't Call It Bones
by boothaddict77
Summary: Seeley Booth & Temperance Brennan are actors who have just landed lead roles in the new TV show, Bones. They meet on set for the first time. Sparks fly & egos clash. Yes, he's handsome & she's beautiful...no, this is not a story about David&Emily(though it may contain allusions to their careers). Full summary inside & on my ve it a shot.What's the worst that could happen?
1. I Don't Know What That Means

**Summary:**

**Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan are actors. He's the ultimate teen heartthrob all grown up, riding a wave of success after starring in a number of films and a popular tv show about vampires; she's a young broadway starlet looking to make a foray into television. They have both been cast as leads in the new television show, Bones. Yes, he's handsome and she's beautiful...and no, this is not a story about Emily and David.(Although I might make some allusions to both their careers). I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, but give it a shot. The other cast members will make an appearance as well-Dr. Daniel Goodman, director of the new series; Cam Saroyan, the producer; Jack Hodgins, Booth's agent and publicist; Angela Montenegro, artist, singer, matchmaker extraordinaire, and Brennan's best friend. Don't worry, we'll see Zach, too. Can't promise anything on Sweets. Sorry, but his shrink speak and gun toting are pissing me off right now. However, you can look forward to meeting Gordon Gordon Wyatt, everyone's personal chef and confidante, known for handing out the most delicious food and advice :)**

** Chapter 1  
><strong>

** I...Don't Know What That Means**

'_There are some things a girl just shouldn't have to live without, and Seeley Booth is one of them._'-Angela Montenegro

Temperance Brennan sighed heavily as she stepped in to her apartment and deposited her bags on the floor. It had been a long day. Endless, really. A four hour delay in departure due to inclement weather; a twelve hour flight cramped into a corner seat with a rather large man slumped over the armrest, snoring into her ear, and a wailing baby bouncing on a lap across the isle; another half hour spent arguing with the personnel at baggage claim who had misplaced one of her bags; and finally, eight hours at the studio, four of which were spent shaking hands and smiling so widely her mouth hurt. Ofcourse, she had managed to catch some (fitful) sleep on her way from the airport to the set. In the worst traffic, it was a twenty minute drive. Oh well. Atleast she wouldn't have to deal with the jet lag.  
>As she collapsed onto the couch, she ran a hand across her face. Good. It hadn't melted off yet. It had been a while since she'd been under the blistering Californian sun. Her stomach grumbled loudly, a pointed reminder that she hadn't eaten anything all day. A glance at her watch confirmed it was nearing eight, and she knew she should probably order in some dinner. She hadn't even had the time to stock up on groceries yet. Temperance groaned. Suddenly the only thing she wanted was to do was put on her favourite pair of pajamas and crawl into bed. Except she didn't have her favourite pair of pajamas. Oh no. Those just happened to be in the small suitcase that the airline had 'misplaced' during the journey, sitting right on top of a small pile of clothes where she'd hurriedly stuffed them just before leaving. And she couldn't get under the covers just yet-the bed wasn't made up and the whole apartment was probably covered in a layer of dust. She'd have to tidy up a bit first. Well, no use in putting off the inevitable. Temperance Brennan did not procrastinate. Idleness would not help her achieve the lofty goals she set for herself. She made to stand up, but the fatigue of the day hit her like a ton of bricks, and she slumped back onto the couch. She huffed and leaned back against the cushions, reasoning that the day couldn't possibly get any worse, so there really wasn't any-the shrill ringing of her house phone interrupted her thoughts.<em>Oh no.*<em>Ring ring ring*._No_.No_.NO._Tempe pushing herself off the couch, she reached for the receiver.

'Hey, Ange.'  
><em><br>'Bren! _Her best friend's loud squeal made Brennan flinch. _Oh my god, I have missed you sooo much! How did you know it was me?'_  
>'I don't have many nighttime callers, Angela. And you're the only person who knows I'm in California.' Brennan smiled in spite of herself. She may have been too exhausted to deal with her Angela's exuberance right then, but it felt good to talk to her friend again. 'And I've missed you too.'<br>_  
>'Please tell me your excuse for not calling me yet is that you had Hugh Grant or some other British hunk stowed away in one of your suitcases and-<em>

'I only just got back from the studio, Angela.' Brennan chuckled tiredly, 'And I can assure you that there are no men in any of my suitcases. Although the incompetent airline employees seem to have lost the one in which I'd packed my robe and other nightwear that would be appropriate for this weather. ' Frowning, Brennan paused for a moment before she continued-'Are you aware that the logistics of fitting a grown man into a-

'_It was a joke, Bren.' _Angela answered distractedly._ 'Back up a minute. Those airheads lost one of your bags? And Mr. Snuggles was in it?  
><em>  
>'I don't think I'll ever understand why you insist on speaking about my bathrobe as if it were a live human being. And while they do work for an airline company, I doubt any of the staff members responsible for misplacing my luggage have...'She trailed off at Angela's sigh. 'Oh. You were being facetious.''<p>

Angela laughed warmly. _'Well yeah, Sweetie, but I've missed you in all your literal glory, so I'm gonna let this one slide. When do I get to see that gorgeous face of yours?'_

'Well, I'll come by first thing tomorrow before the final audition. I'm too exhausted to go out tonight, and I've got to clean the apartment, too.' Brennan looked around the seemingly spotless living room before continuing, 'Everything seems to be in place, but I haven't been here in weeks so there must be a lot of dust accumulated-'

_'Do you see a fleck of dust anywhere, Brennan?'_

Confused by Angela's challenging tone, Brennan looked around once more. 'Well, no, but I haven't-'

'Oh, but I have. I knew you'd be home late so I borrowed a key from your landlady and tidied up a bit. I also know you probably haven't have eaten a thing all day, so I stocked up the fridge for you.'

Brennan felt a surge of gratitude towards her friend. She really was too tired to do any cleaning herself, and she hated when the place was dirty. 'Thanks, Ange. You didn't have to do that.'

Angela waved her off dismissively. _'Psh. It was no big deal. And hey, you'd do it for me.'_

Brennan smiled. 'Yes, I would.'

_'So how'd it go today?'_

'Well, the director called me personally after watching my audition tape and said he thought I was perfect for the role, but I'm not sure I'm going to get it. He's asked me to come back tomorrow to audition with one of the other leads who's already been cast.'

'_Brennan, that's great! He actually said you were perfect for the role? That means you've got it in the bag. We've got to celebrate.'_

'I don't know, Ange. He sounded kind of...apprehensive...about something.'

'_And since when do you read people so well?'_

'I'm just saying it might be a little too early to start celebrating. There are a lot of other actors who have tried out for this part, Ange. And most of them have more experience than I do when it comes to television.'

_'Yeah, but none of them are as talented as you are'_, Angela replied loyally. _'The _director _said you were perfect for the part, sweetie. You're going to get it.'_

'I hope so, Ange.'Brennan chuckled at the confident tone, and then remembered she had made a mental note to ask her friend something earlier that day. 'Oh, and Ange?'

'Yeah?'

'Who is Seeley Booth?'

Silence.

'Ange?'

Still no answer. Brennan was beginning to wonder if the call had gotten disconnected when Angela's voice carried over the phone line.

'_I'm sorry, sweetie', _she began in a soft, controlled tone, '_but it sounded like you just asked me who_ _Seeley Booth is._'

'I did. Mr. Goodman mentioned he was quite popular, and you watch a lot of television, so I assumed you would know him . I'm supposed to-'

_'Brennan!_' Angela exclaimed, managing to sound shocked, incredulous, and almost angry at the same time. She took a deep, calming breath. _'Honey, I know you've lived under a rock for the past decade or so, but you cannot possibly tell me that you've never heard of Seeley Booth.'  
><em>  
>'I've never heard of Seeley Booth. Well, atleast I hadn't heard of him until this morning.'<p>

_'Never? Not once? Not one single time?'_

'That's what I said, Angela.' Brennan huffed, a little frustrated with her friend's inability to comprehend that simple fact.  
><em><br>'Alright, alright, I'm sorry. It's just...wow. OK, hold on a second._ She took a deep breath. _'You know what, it's not that big a deal. I mean it is, but...Alright. We can fix this.'_

'Angela, what are you talking about? Fix what?'  
><em><br>'Don't interrupt me, Brennan_._ We have some serious damage control to do. Do you still have that DVD player you've _obviously _never used?_

'Yes. Why? I don't understand how that's relevant to this conv-'

_'Great.' _Angela ignored her. _'Should I bring some wine? The store was all out of red when I was stocking up your fridge this afternoon.'_

'

Angela_...'_

'Brennan...'

'Angela, you are _not _coming over right now._'_

Look, Brennan. I don't care if you're jet-lagged, or indisposed, or 10 months pregnant. I am coming over there right this minute with a stack of DVDs and you and I are going to sit through atleast four of them before you even think about getting any sleep. OK?'

'Angela, you can't be serious.'

_'Trust me, Sweetie. It's for your own good. You'll thank me later.'_

I highly doubt that. Why is this so important, Ange?'

_'It's important because you can hide under that rock of yours all you like but there are some things a girl just shouldn't have to live without, and Seeley Booth is one of them. _

Brennan rolled her eyes. 'Angela, I've managed just fine for the last 26 years, I think I'll survive another day.'  
><em><br>'Nuh uh, Brennan. As my best friend, I refuse to let you live in the darkness any longer. Besides, I haven't seen you in forever!_' Angela whined petulantly. She smiled at Brennan's sigh of resignation and then squealed. _I promise you won't regret it, Sweetie! Today, I'm going to introduce you to the 180 pounds of gorgeous that is Seeley Booth.'_

Brennan groaned and made a last ditch attempt to reason with her friend. 'I'm going to be introduced to him tomorrow in any case, Ange-'

Angela was hearing none of it. _'No, no putting this off for any longer. Be prepared to enter the wondrous world of vampires, Brennan. See you in ten!'_

'I...don't know what that means.' But the only response she got was a little click that signified the end of the call, and the incessant beeping of the dial tone that followed.

**A/N: Sorry I've had to post so many edited versions of the same chapter, guys. For some reason every time I upload the document a few words get swallowed up in the process. While I have your attention, I'd really appreciate some comments or feedback on the story. I know I just posted the first installment less than 24 hours ago, but a lot of people have alerted it already, and so far I've got only one review. Should I keep going or is this worse than the screenplay for It's a Boy Girl Thing?**

**So give me some love, people! Or hate. Hate's fine, too. There might just be a chocolate-covered Booth waiting for you in the next few chapters if you're good, though. That's all I'm saying.  
><strong>


	2. Out With It, Bug Man

**A/N:You might want to read this background before starting on the chapter. The original quote and name of the article where I got the rest of the info is right at the end if you want to double check the facts. Hope you like this one!**

**[For those of you who don't already know it, David B really was reluctant to do the show at first. Hanson finally convinced him to come on board after a few disastrous lunch meetings, and he agreed on the condition that he wouldn't be a full time cast member. Hanson was desperate-he knew right off the bat that David was perfect for the part and described all the other actors who'd tried out for Booth were just 'pretty boy waifs'-so he conceded to all his demands. David also had someone picked out for the roll and they were about to start shooting when Emily turned up right at the last minute, straight after finishing Glory Road. She tried out for the part, and David, who had sat motionless on his stool while reading with all the other actresses but was a little peeved at the fact that she was even trying out for a role that in his mind was already cast, stepped up and invaded her personal space during one of the scenes. Instead of being intimidated, she took a step forward. In Hanson's words, **_**'that's when even a thickhead like me went whoa.' **_

**Anyway, David stepped back and announced, **_**'this chick's got moxie!'**_** He agreed to star full time if they cast Emily, and the whole premise of Bones was altered. Hanson had been aiming for a procedural with Brennan as the protagonist and Booth as the FBI Agent who came in regularly to ask for her help. While he hoped they'd make a kick-ass crime-fighting duo, he didn't intend for them to have any romantic feelings toward each other. That changed the moment he saw them in the same room together. The name of the show was changed from **_**Brennan**_** to **_**Bones**_**. And with the sizzling hot tension-I think we'd all agree Booth and Brennan easily have the best chemistry of all time-one of the best shows in television history was born. To quote Hanson, **_**'There's so much sexual tension between David and Emily that you don't have to write it into the script.'**_**]**

**Chapter 2**

**Out with it, Bug Man**

'_**I won't do it.'-Seeley Booth **_

Seeley Booth was having a bad day. A really, really, bad day. Indifferent to all the flirtatious smiles and come hither glances that he had grown accustomed to by now, he shifted restlessly in his seat. Over the soft murmurs of the other patrons in the swanky lounge bar, and the not-so-discreet clicking sounds of cell phone cameras that all happened to be pointed in his general direction, the soft strains of some soothing jazzy music reached his ears. Shutting his eyes, he forced himself to concentrate on the music. He listened just long enough to establish that he actually enjoyed the sultry voice drifting over the speakers before he was interrupted by his own thoughts. The day's events scrolled through his head, beginning with the commercial he had crawled out of bed to shoot first thing in the morning. To hell with directors and their obsession with natural light. A can of Pepsi was not going to look any different in the artificial glow of the studio, as he'd pointed out repeatedly to his agent earlier in the day.

'_Why am I doing this again, Hodgins?'_

'_So you can get rich and famous, dude.'_

_Booth had simply glared at him._

_Hodgins flashed him a sheepish smile. 'Oh, right. I forget sometimes.'_

Booth was startled out of his reverie by his agent's annoying nudging. He groaned. 'What, Hodgins?' He barked.

Unfazed, the bearded man flashed him a serene smile. 'See, man, I told you you'd enjoy this place!'

'Hodgins…'

Jack swallowed nervously at the menacing glare recognising that this was not the time to push the issue. Or breach the topic that he'd been putting off all day. 'Right. Leaving. Now.'

Grabbing his jacket, Booth rose from his seat and began weaving his way through the crowd, not checking to see if his agent/publicist was following him. He was. A few stylishly dressed women attempted to throw themselves in their path, but a group of large men-all wearing the same expression and tight-fitting black t-halted their progress as they neared the doors. This had fast become his least favourite part of stepping out, Booth decided. He didn't need a posse of bodyguards, for Christ's sake. He wasn't the President. Two of them took up their positions on either side of Booth, and walked with him the short distance to the car doors. Booth and Jack climbed into the seat- the backseat, much to Booth's annoyance-and Hodgins shouted something at the driver that he didn't catch over the pounding in his head. The door slammed shut, effectively blocking out the squealing fans and flashing cameras as they sped away. Booth slumped back against his seat with a sigh. Hodgins glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and wisely elected not to say anything. Predictably, the silence was too much for him to handle, and after about a minute Jack piped up.

'You know, there's this new club that's opened up at the corner of sixth and-

'Not now, Hodgins.' Booth's voice was controlled and exhausted, like all the anger had drained out of him in the short while since they'd left the nightclub. His eyes were shut as he leaned against the headrest, the streetlights outside the window highlighting his strong profile as they sped down the crowded boulevard.

'Look, man, I'm sorry I dragged you to this thing. I really thought it would help take your mind of, you know…'

'Not your fault, Jack.' Booth sighed. And it really wasn't. He just hadn't been in the mood for a tastefully decorated lounge bar with its (not so) tastefully decorated women.

'You've got to admit, though, that singer was pretty good.' Jack began tentatively. 'Nick told me she'd come in earlier to perform, but she left before the night crowd got there.'

Booth nodded, but said nothing.

'He said she's quite the bombshell, too. You know what I think? I think she's just the pretty face they put on the album covers. I mean, why else wouldn't she stick around to-'

Before he could take his paranoid rant any further, Booth interrupted him. 'Spit it out, Hodgins.'

His big blue eyes wide as saucers, Hodgins gulped and turned to Booth. 'What? I have no idea what you're talking about, man. I really-'

'Jack. You've had something to tell me all day. And from the look on your face, I'm not going to like it. So just hit me.'

'Booth…'

'Out with it, Bug Man.'

Hodgins sighed. 'So you know that final audition we had today, with the director?'

'Yeah, we settled on the blonde chick for the part. Hannah Burley, right, from that show with the crazy dad? What about it?'

'Well, nothing. It's just…' He mumbled something incoherently.

'Sorry, what? I didn't catch that.'

Jack cleared his throat. 'That wasn't the final audition.'

'_What?'_

'I said, it wasn't the-'

'Yeah, I heard what you said, Hodgins.' Booth growled. 'What the hell do you mean that wasn't the final audition? We tried out over seventy girls for the part.'

'Listen, Booth, I know-'

'No, you listen. I won't do it.'

'What? Look, man, you said it yourself. We've tried out like a hundred girls. What's one more?'

Neither man noticed that the car had pulled up the driveway screeched to a halt in front of the large house.

'Hodgins, I didn't even want to do this thing in the first place. Just call Goodman and tell him to have the Burley girl on the set and ready to start shooting tomorrow, or I'm not doing the show.' He turned to the driver, 'Thanks, Mac. And tell Sweets he doesn't have to bother with picking me up tomorrow.'

Hodgins turned to him, shocked. 'Come on, man, don't tell me you're not going to show up tomorrow.' He regretted the words almost as soon as they came out of his mouth. Booth was anything but unprofessional. He was about to apologise when Booth cut him off with a huff.

'I'll be there, Hodgins. I'd just prefer to drive my own car for a change. Is that so hard to understand? '

Hodgins nodded. Booth usually liked to drive himself, ignoring all the security hassles that created. He had only agreed to let Hodgins bring Mac along today on the off chance that they both got too wasted to drive. Jack regretted making the suggestion now, sensing that his friend would have been much more comfortable behind the wheel. Booth was a man who liked to be in control, but fame had robbed him of that luxury. With his hold on his own life growing increasingly weaker with each passing day, he needed these little rebellions. Driving his own car despite the apparent threat this posed to his safety afforded him an outlet for some of his frustration. The worst part was that Mac had been one of Booth's old army buddies. The two had served together for a short while and they had never been particularly close, and even though he would undoubtedly have been unemployed and neck deep in gambling debts if Booth hadn't gotten him this job, Jack knew he hated it when one of his former friends treated him like some big movie star that they wouldn't dare speak to unless addressed.

Hodgins mumbled a goodnight to Booth as he hopped out of the car and slammed the door behind him without so much as a backwards glance. Jack cringed. Thank God Mac knew not to open his door for him by now. The car started up again, heading in the direction of Hodgins' own house, just down the road. This time it was his turn to sigh. Oh, well, he'd just have to hope that his client was in a better mood the next morning. If not, this Temperance Brennan was in for one chilly reception.

**A/N: Well? I still don't know what anyone thinks of this story. Should I keep going? I'm sorry this chapter wasn't very long, but hopefully I'll have another update for you by the time the weekend rolls around. I hope some of you ardent Bones fans could appreciate the subtle message that I had Booth convey to Sweets when he wanted him informed that he could drive his own car. Next chapter, Booth and Brennan have their first meeting. Prepare yourself for the fireworks. Oh, and there's going to be some AH as well. Is that incentive enough to leave a review?**

**Here's the quote, for those of you who want to read it, along with a link to the article that describes the initial interactions of the cast and crew when they first came together.**

**Hart Hanson: 'David had another actress he liked, that he thought should be the lead. David's a very strong-willed man. So he... I wouldn't say sabotage... he challenged Emily to rise to the occasion by advancing on her. David's about 6'1", and about 200 lbs of shoulders with pecs attached, and the package and knees very, very... he's a guy... And he advanced on her in the network test. And Emily stepped into it. She stepped right toward him. And then they had one of the exchanges that we used in the pilot. And it was when even a thick-head like me went "whoa."'**

**Link to article: Well, it seems I can't post it here, so it's called Digging Up Secrets With the Cast of Bones, by Eric Goldman. Just in case I'm not allowed to name the search engine either, G**gle it. :)  
><strong>


	3. Suck The Life Blood Out Of Me

**A/N:Now before we begin, I'd like to remind you-again-that this is not a story about David and Emily. It's about Booth and Brennan. That being said, here's a fun little interaction between the two co-stars to get you started:**

_**Announcer: "There was an attempt at a hookup?"**_  
><em><strong>David and Emily: (over each other) "Well, no, never no!"<strong>_  
><em><strong>Emily: "Never outwardly."<strong>_  
><em><strong>David: "No it's all inward, isn't it?"<strong>_  
><em><strong>Emily: "Chemistry?"<strong>_  
><em><strong>David: "You think we have some?"<strong>_  
><em><strong>Emily: "I don't know. I can feel it right now."<strong>_  
><em><strong>David: "Electrifying."<strong>_

**No, I don't understand how they're not together. Or how Emily manages to work in close proximity with him and resist…that…every day. Or how David has managed to stay that gorgeous for this long. Really, these are mysteries beyond my comprehension.**

**Chapter 3**

**Suck The Life Blood Out Of Me  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Brennan's words were followed by stunned silence, a deafening squeal, and a loud thud as Angela went crashing to the floor, taking the sheet and Brennan with her.<strong>_

**Midnight, Temperance Brennan's apartment**

* * *

><p>As she uncorked the second bottle of wine that Angela had brought with her, Brennan was in remarkably high spirits-a combination of good alcohol, delicious food, the company of her best friend, and the best looking man she had ever laid eyes on smoldering at her from her television screen had proven to be the perfect formula for relaxation.<p>

Giggling as she nearly knocked over the tub of ice cream, Tempe plonked down next to Angela on the couch.

'Hey, rewind that! I missed the last scene with the…with that blonde girl.' She trailed off, taking another sip of her wine to get rid of the bitter taste in her had never been able to understand how the colour of someone's hair could have any relation whatsoever to their intelligence, but on this occasion she felt inclined to believe the worst of the female protagonist-although she had no prior knowledge of her character, on or off the screen.

Angela laughed and obliged her request, casting around for the TV remote amidst the piles of upturned take-out boxes and DVD jackets. She ducked under the couch, nearly falling over in the process, and emerged triumphant with the remote in hand. 'You know, Bren, I don't think I've seen you unwind like this in…well, ever.'

'Yes, it has been a rather pleasant evening', she smiled over at her friend. 'And he is _very_ pleasing to look at'. Her smile vanished completely as she turned her attention back to the TV screen. She watched in horrified fascination as the vampire played by Booth and the tiny blonde shared a passionate kiss. Her stomach churned, and the stirring of something that felt oddly like jealousy bubbled up inside of her before she chastised herself for being unreasonable. Intellectually, she knew that jealousy was irrational. Worse still, feeling jealous of a fictional character made absolutely no sense. Of course, that didn't mean she had to like the way things were playing out on the screen. Grabbing the remote from Angela, she hit the pause button.

'How can he possibly regard her as a viable sexual interest? She is over a century younger than him.'

'Vampires don't age, Bren.'

'While it may be true that their physiological processes remain unaltered, intellectually-'

'Intellectually nothing Brennan. Try to put that big brain of yours in neutral and just watch. You were doing pretty well so far. Here, have some wine.' She reached forward to refill their glasses, not noticing that Brennan's was almost filled to the brim already. 'Besides, things don't really work out between them.'

Brennan perked up at this. 'Oh?' she half-hiccupped, half-squeaked, accepting the dangerously full glass from Angela.

'Yeah, the whole thing was pretty tragic. They had some good chemistry going.'

'I'd have to *hiccup* disagree with you on that.'

'He's hot, though.' It was not a question.

'I concur. Vehemently. But I find her to be *hiccup* rather annoying. He should have rejected her advances. She is far too young-'

'Psh. Morality really doesn't come in to the picture here, Bren. It's a decade old TV show for teenagers, for God's sake.'

Brennan huffed. 'Then why are we watching it?'

'Because.'

'Because?'

'Yeah, because. Because we have eyes. Because that man is hot. Are you seriously telling me you wouldn't want him to suck the life blood out of you if you were seventeen-or even a hundred?' Correctly interpreting Brennan's silence for acquiescence to her line of reasoning, Angela snatched the remote back and directed it towards the TV. 'Good. Now stop dissecting it and just watch.' With that, she hit the play button. 'Why the sudden attack on the sexy vamps anyway? You were enjoying yourself until a minute ago.'

'I was merely curious', Brennan sniffed. 'You said the show was extremely popular, and I fail to see the widespread appeal in watching a 200 year old man sucking head with a 17 year old girl.'

There was a moment of silence, and then Angela burst into laughter.

'What's so funny?'

Angela barely recovered enough to explain, 'face, Bren. It's sucking…face', before she relapsed into another fit of giggles.

'Oh. _Oh._' Brennan's mood had improved considerably after watching Angel sprout fangs and leap out Blondie's window, and she joined in the tipsy laughing fest. By the time they had managed to regain some semblance of composure, both women were both hopelessly tangled in the light sheet they'd draped over themselves during the course of the evening, and they had sobered up considerably.

Panting hard and clutching at a stitch in her side, Angela attempted to sit up and free herself from the cocoon of white cotton. Turning to Brennan, she asked, 'so why the sudden interest in Sexy Booth?'

'Huh?'

'Why did you ask me about him? You're not usually interested in the latest celebrity gossip, Sweetie.'

'Oh, I'm supposed to have an audition with him tomorrow. If I get the part, I should be working with him on a fairly regular basis.'

Brennan's words were followed by stunned silence, a deafening squeal, and a loud thud as Angela went crashing to the floor, taking the sheet and Brennan with her.

'Angela!'

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So I've devised a working formula here: I'm going to begin every chapter with a few deets from the show (there's nothing like some fun Bones factoids or Boreanaz trivia to get the engine up and running) accompanied by a couple of behind-the-scenes quotes so you know I'm not making it all up. And then a quote from the chapter itself, to give you a little teaser of (good) things to come. What do you guys think? I bet a lot of you got the wrong idea when you saw the opener to this one. *evil grin*. Sorry if you were disappointed, but while I appreciate that Michaela and Emily are extraordinarily beautiful women, and Tamara Taylor is probably as gorgeous as it gets, there's no femslash here. :) I'm all about Booth-and Brennan. No, that hyphen was not put there by accident, and yes, I know I've had to postpone their meeting 'til the next chapter-but I promise to have it up by this evening if I can. A few kind words might just speed up the process. Now I'm off to watch Federer do magical things on the tennis court. If past experience is anything to go by, I should be speechless for a good long while. Excuse any errors-grammatical or otherwise. I'm in a bit of a rush here. Love!**


	4. READ!

Alright, guys. I'm sorry this isn't an update-and I know I promised one two days ago, but for some reason I don't quite understand, my muse is acting very temperamental. I don't understand it, really. I wasn't aware that I _had _a muse until about a week ago-he also appears to be a bit mad at me for that minor oversight. Apparently I should have noticed him skulking around in the recesses of my mind a little earlier. Pfft. Who knew muses craved attention like Justin Beiber in crowd of women with an average age hovering above 10 (and an average IQ above a 100)?

Anyhow, the later chapters of Purak seem to be writing themselves up very nicely. I just finished what could turn into chapters 8-10 (yes, I do intend to keep the story going for that long).

So my question to you guys is-if I could post a chapter within the next couple of days-and I will-which of my stories would you rather have an update on? The on-going Purak: A Less Cheesy Way to Complete Me-or the somewhat neglected Don't Call It Bones? I won't be able to reply to individual reviews as I don't have the time, but I'll do a quick count and let your votes determine the final 's a poll on my (:new and improved:) profile. Go check it out. And vote for your story! Well, my story, really. (I'll trade you the rights for a cloned Booth). Anyhow, go pick a favourite, please. You'll have to excuse me, I haven't slept in over 47 hours.

Cheers,

S

P.S:Rest assured that sleep intoxication has no effect whatsoever on the quality of my writing.


	5. Do You Believe in Fate?

**A/N: I'm sorry, I know it's been a while. The good news is, I'm still here. I hope you are too.**

**A few quick reminders before you start on this chapter:**

** 1. Booth is (still) more famous than David Boreanaz. Think DB multiplied by George Clooney multiplied by Brad Pitt multiplied by Miley Cyrus to the power of ten. If you can wrap your head around that. OK, maybe, you know, remove the Miley Cyrus bit. Booth is just very famous. There. That's better.**

**2. By some minor miracle, Brennan has never heard of him. Until she conceded to that late night Buffy marathon with Angela.**

**3. Remember, a lot of this stuff actually happened during the early stages of production of the show. If you've forgotten the details, or you didn't bother to look them over the first time, go back and read the author's notes in the earlier chapters. **

**Chapter 4  
><strong>

**Do You Believe in Fate?**

**_Do You Believe in Fate?_**

**_(Because he was 'that guy'. And he knew. Right from the start. He knew. And he still does.)  
><em>**

**_'Absolutely not. Ludicrous.'_**

_**(Sigh. Because only Brennan can listen to **_**that**_** man asking **_**that**_** question and come up with **_**that**_** answer.)**_

* * *

><p><strong>Time to get ready:<br>**

Booth stood over the sink, razor in hand, staring at the reflection staring back at him.* He quickly inspected his handiwork-years in the army had taught him to be quick and efficient in his morning routine-and splashed some water on his face before putting on some aftershave. There was something rolling around in his gut that he couldn't quite identify. For some reason, he felt…good. No, that didn't make any sense-he'd been in a foul mood for most of the past week. He hadn't been particularly keen to start work on this new TV show. Truth be told, he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Reichs.** What kind of name was that, anyway? It sounded like something Hitler would pick out. After auditioning with every aspiring actress in California-atleast, that's what it felt like-they'd finally settled on one girl. Booth groaned. And now it would seem they still had one more to go. Booth scowled heavily. There was no way in hell he was reading the same script with _another _lipstick-wearing, high-heel toting, fake-boob flashing starlet whose self esteem was determined by the size of her waist. Goodman would just have to deal with that. He had been very thorough and insisted on trying out just about anyone who fit the age and general description for the part, and Booth could respect that, even if it meant more work for him. But the selection process was harrowing to say the least, and Goodman remained adamant that the network didn't rope in someone just for a big name and a pretty face…_No, that's where you come in, buddy._ Booth frowned as the realisation dawned on him, then sighed and gave a resigned shake of his head. Hodgins was right. What was one more audition, anyway? That was another thing he had learned from his time in the army-and the recent years in showbusiness-you've got to learn to pick your battles. It didn't really matter if he had to read a few lines with one last girl. If she was anything like the others, then he'd just say good riddance and not dwell on it any further. If she was even the slightest bit talented, he'd warn her not to end up like him and to stay the hell away from the show unless she had full faith in the direction in which it was headed. Exiting the bathroom dressed in nothing but a towel, he walked back into his bedroom and picked up the remote lying on the black covers at the foot of the bed, pressing a button to draw back the expensive blinds. While the room had been shrouded in total darkness before-save for the few skylights-it was now bathed in the early morning sunlight. Booth closed his eyes and allowed himself to bask in the imaginary warmth-he couldn't really feel it in the temperature-controlled room-for just a moment. On most days, this was the only time he got to experience and appreciate the beauty of nature-in the privacy of his own bedroom, in the early hours of the morning. In about ten minutes, he'd walk out the door, and there'd be a posse of reporters and fans waiting at the locked gate, flashing cameras and flirtatious smiles-among other things-that blinded the sun from view. He sighed and began walking towards his wardrobe to put on some clothes. _C'est la vie, right?_ Yes, today was going to be…important. He could feel it. (:In his Bones:)

* * *

><p><strong>(Well) past time to get ready, Brennan's apartment:<strong>

Brennan woke to the harsh sunlight filtering in through the once colourful drapes in her apartment. She made to sit up, but her head felt so heavy that she instantly lay back down. She groaned. Her head stretched her feet out in front of her but they encountered something solid and-soft?

'Wha-?'

'Sorry, Ange-'

Her phone started to ring.

She scrambled around, trying to locate it in the covers draped all over the sofa.

'Ow! Brennan!'

'Sorry, Ange, but that could be the airline company. Or one of the producers.'

Remembering that her friend had her big audition today, Angela graciously-or as graciously as her present (hungover) condition would allow-moved into a sitting position, and fumbled around for the phone. She found it wedged between the back of the couch-and her own ass.

'Here you go.'

'Thanks, Ange.' Brennan snatched the phone from the artist's grasp. 'Brennan.'

Angela watched as Brennan's eyes got wider by the second. Finally, she ended the call with a 'no, that should be just fine. I'll be there in thirty minutes.' She waited for the click of the dial tone and checked the time on the display. Then she slowly turned to face a groggy Angela who was attempting to rub the sleep out of her eyes with one hand and the spot in her side-where Brennan's foot had connected moments earlier-with the other.

'Wassamatter, Bren?'

'My audition has been moved from twelve to ten.'

'What time is it?'

'It's 9 15.'

Angela's eyebrows shot up at that. 'Bren, that gives us less than twenty minutes to get ready!'

'I'm aware of-wait, did you say us?'

'Well, duh.' Angela rolled her eyes and made to stand, kicking off the covers clumsily in her haste. Holding a hand up in front of her, she continued. 'Sweetie, refresh my memory here. Didn't you tell me that you were going to be meeting Seeley Booth today, or was that a product of my drunk imagination?'

'Yes, but-'

'No buts, Brennan. I'm coming to this audition whether you like it or not.'

Brennan's raised an eyebrow. 'So you can ogle one of my potential costars?'

'No…' Angela drew out the word, before flashing a toothy grin that managed to look playful, saucy, and just plain dangerous. 'I'm going to flirt with him shamelessly until we both get kicked out of the studio.'

'Ange-'

'I was just kidding, Bren. Phew, good thing I brought an overnight bag.' And she began to rummage through it. 'I'm telling you, I'm going to sink my claws-and teeth-in him so-'

'_Ange!'_

'Bren, think about it. It's win-win. My _best friend'_-she looked pointedly at Brennan-'can land that lead role she deserves-'

'Somehow I doubt your motives are quite so altruist-'

'-and _I _land a hunky movie star boyfriend.' She put a hand over her heart. 'I would do that. For you.'

'Angela, while I appreciate that you're willing to make such an immense _sacrifice_ for me…' Rolling her eyes and drawing air quotes around the word, Brennan moved towards her still unpacked bags to grab a few toiletries and other essentials. Angela followed her to the bathroom and Brennan stepping inside, turning around to face her friend who was grinning in the doorway. 'Even if you _do _manage to get into bed'-she frowned-'with this…Seeley Booth person _and _put in a good word for me before 10 o' clock today, it's highly unlikely that he has the final say in the casting decisions.' Ofcourse, she couldn't have been more wrong.

''This Seeley Booth person? _Bren, _he is_-'_

Brennan stepped into the shower and shut the door.

'-only the most gorgeous man alive.' Angela trailed off with a pout and went in to the other bathroom to freshen up.

* * *

><p>'Where is she?' Booth asked for the third time in around fifteen minutes, his knee bouncing erratically as he glanced down at his cell phone. 'She'll be here shortly, Mr. Booth.' Goodman answered from where he stood a few feet behind the actor's chair. Booth jumped up and began pacing again. Goodman sighed and continued in a patient tone. 'You know as well as I do that traffic at this hour can be murderous. Besides, we moved her audition timings to an hour earlier than originally planned. I'm sure she won't take much longer to arrive.'<p>

'She'd better be here soon. Who doesn't arrive on time for their first audition, anyway? Why would you want to work with someone who has no sense of-'

'Good _God, _Mr. Booth, would you please _sit down._' Booth stopped in his tracks, a little surprised. He wasn't used to being addressed like that. 'The woman has had a long flight from London just last evening, and she came in straight from the airport, ready for her audition. As I recall, _you_ were not available to-'

'Because _you_ didn't inform my agent-'

'And I have already apologised for not contacting you sooner, Mr. Booth, but the young lady is not at fault here. She arrived in the studio directly after a twelve hour flight, guns blazing and ready to get to work. If you do not think that proves her level of commitment to this project then I don't know what does. Regardless, the fact that she is thirteen minutes late does not justify an assault on her character or give you reason to question her professional integrity.'

Wide-eyed and somewhat chastened at the impassioned rant, Booth sank back into his seat. This was one of the reasons he had liked the man right off the bat. Not only did he admire Goodman's work, he also liked the fact that he wasn't intimidated by his star status. In fact, Goodman had a knack for making him feel like a little kid getting put in his place by a parent. Childishly, he couldn't help adding-'Seventeen.'

'What?'

'She's seventeen minutes late'. He grumbled, crossing well-muscled arms across his chest.

With that, Booth went back to the game he'd been playing on his cell phone. Goodman rolled his eyes and did not dignify his words with a response. 'I'm going to go check on the camera crew. Mr. Booth. Ms. Burley.' He flashed them both a polite nod and a smile, and headed towards the exit. Booth glanced at the blonde sitting in a chair to his right, only just remembering her presence. She reminded him a little of that gorgeous, curvy lawyer he'd been seeing…and the woman he'd dated before that…and the one before that…and…_huh_. He hadn't noticed that pattern before. If he was honest with himself, he hadn't wanted to. Booth had given up on serious relationships a while ago. He was ready for one-he really wasn't the kind of guy to shy away from commitment-but it seemed like the universe had other plans. He could have his pick of-quite literally-any woman on the planet, but couldn't bring himself to be attracted to a woman who fawned over him all the time simply because he was, to put it simply, _Seeley Booth_. And there were plenty of those women going around. The problem was, the ones that weren't intimidated by his fame and stardom eventually ended up being repelled by it. He had learned to face the facts and accept them as they were. It wasn't like he had a shortage of attractive women throwing themselves at him. Hannah batted her eyelashes in his direction and he forced a smile. Atleast he knew she'd try to get into bed with him first thing if they started working together. He may not even protest all that much. It wasn't like she was too hard on the eyes. But if they were going to be working together…he knew dating a costar couldn't end well. He glanced at her again and shook his head. Not worth it. There'd be a heavily publicised break-up, and a scandal and-_Christ, when had he become such a douchebag? _Maybe he should take a vacation somewhere, a break from…the reality of acting. Just to find out if there was a real person inside of him somewhere. Maybe he shouldn't do this TV show after all. It wasn't like he was too invested in the project, anyway. Booth sighed. He really hadn't thought this one through. He didn't like backing out on his word, but…well, he couldn't do anything about it right that second. And it wasn't like he was going to be in every episode, anyway.* He went back to looking for sports scores on his phone. Hodgins, who was hovering somewhere in the background, as usual, came and flopped down in the seat next to Booth. He began rattling off network statistics and gushing about how he had 'a really good feeling' about this new show. The actor lent the words half an ear and a quarter of his attention. Sure, the show had the potential to be great but then…something was missing. He sighed again. He felt so…empty? Bored. He could live with bored.

And that's when it happened.

The large metallic door at the opposite end of the room slid open, and a burst of sunlight filtered in. Booth looked up sharply…and he was lost. Two women entered the studio, but Booth had eyes for only one. Automatically, he stood. When he had regained control of his motor functions, he nudged Hodgins (who had also gotten to his feet by this point) but the bearded man did not respond. 'Hodgins.' Still no answer. 'Hodgins'.

'…'

'_Hodgins_!' Booth hissed. 'Psst. Hodgins.' He nudged harder. The agent clutched his side and almost doubled over.

'Wha-?'

'Name, Jack! I need a name.' Booth usually had his agent or assistant, Zack, by his side at all times during business gatherings and parties (hell, in Hollywood, parties _were _business gatherings) supplying him with names and backgrounds of approaching guests that he didn't recognise or remember. Booth had once reflected that pretty soon he'd need those introductions himself every time he looked in a mirror. As it turned out, Zack was currently in Michigan visiting family, and Hodgins was staring straight in front of them, slack-jawed and unresponsive. Not that Booth could blame him. Ofcourse, he had no way of knowing that Hodgins' eyes were glued to the _other_ gorgeous brunette who had just walked in with the first. If he had thought about it, Booth would have laughed at the hilarity of the situation. It was straight out of a movie. Two beautiful women walk into a room, sunlight streaming in behind them, creating an angelic halo that enhances flawless features and already radiant smiles…two men rise to their feet, their jaws dropping to the floor as their eyes pop-and that's a wrap. He'd probably acted out the same scene himself a dozen times before. As it was, his brain had effectively shut down the moment he laid eyes on her. Her friend made a beeline towards the water cooler standing in a corner to the right the moment they entered, and the woman seemed a bit lost. Booth couldn't quite understand what it was about her that was making him react the way that he was. Sure, she was beautiful, but it wasn't the pale skin, or the auburn locks, or the amazing body, or…any of the perfect features, really, that drew him in. There was just something about her. He moved forward to help before he could help himself.

'Can I help you?'

As he approached, she turned towards him, seemingly unfazed. The usual awestruck realisation or even just the flicker of surprised recognition that he had become accustomed to did not register on her face. Then again, something told him it was better not to make assumptions about this woman. She didn't look like the kind of person who turned out to be the way one would expect. He couldn't get a read on her at all.

'Yes, I should hope so. Do you know where I might find Mr. Daniel Goodman?'

Her voice was surprisingly husky and still delicate. He swallowed.

'Uh…yeah. He's right over there, uh, speaking with the…ah, camera crew'. Booth pointed vaguely in the direction the director had headed without taking his eyes off of her.

'Thank you.'

She didn't look away either.

'So, uh, why are you looking for Goodman?' Booth cleared his throat.

'I'm auditioning for a TV show he's producing. I was told to meet with him.'

'I'm Seeley Booth.' While he needed the occasional reminder himself, making this introduction to _other_ people had become simply a formality over the past few years. But this woman simply gave a small nod in response.

'Temperance Brennan.' And she took off her shades. _Wow. _Their eyes met. Booth looked into the startlingly blue depths and forgot how to breathe. He was reminded of something his Pops had told him once, years ago, when he was down and out, fresh out of the army and knee-deep in gambling debts. The subtle and yet clear message had really struck home at a time when he'd been as loose with women as he was with money, and it had stayed with him since. Booth remembered being speechless when he had first heard the words. _'__Here we are, all of us, basically alone, separate creatures, just circling each other, all searching for that slightest hint of a real connection. Some look in the wrong places, some, they just give up hope because in their mind they're thinking "Oh there's nobody out there for me," but all of us, we keep trying over and over again. Why? Because every once in a while... every once in a while, two people meet and there's that spark, and yes, son, he's handsome and she's beautiful and maybe that's all they see at first, but...' _he'd finally gotten to the 'but'.'Do you believe in fate?'

If that was a pick up line, it would have been cheesy-but it was neither of those things, even if it was a little bit of both.

'Absolutely not. Ludicrous.'

Booth smiled and then laughed lightly.

'Oh. OK. Well, good luck with that audition.'

'Thank you.'

They stared at each other silently for a moment longer.

'I'm already late, so…' before Brennan could move past him, her words finally registered and something struck Booth.

'Ah, just, uh, one more thing.' _Oh, good, his vocal cords still worked._ 'Which show are you auditioning for?' _Goodman was involved in a lot of TV shows, but..._

'The same one you have been cast in, I imagine. Mr. Goodman informs me he doesn't have a working title yet.'

_I knew it._

'Yeah, I don't like 'Bones' too much'. Booth scrunched his nose and drew air quotes around the word. It sounds less…sexy scientist, and more…sixty year old biker.'

Brennan laughed, and Booth decided he had to hear the sound again. 'C'mon, I'll walk with you.' They fell in step, walking towards the cameras at the other side of the studio.

'So let me guess, you're the new lead.'

'I'm auditioning for the part, yes.'

'You've got it.'

**A/N: **

***Can you believe he gets to do that everyday? It's a wonder he hasn't turned into a (complete) narcissistic prick :P**

****The original working title for the series was supposed to be Brennan. It would have made sense, too, since David was very reluctant to do it, and Booth wouldn't have played the role that he does now. In fact, DB had signed a contract to do only around 15 -20 episodes in a season. He had also picked out an actress to play the lead. Hanson was insistent that he was right for the part (THANK GOD) so he agreed to all his terms. They were going to scrap the romantic angle altogether. Hart said he was aiming to take the show in a different direction. Then Emily came in, much to David's annoyance, just before the shooting was about to begin. And, well, they met. And everything changed. (:To use the Hanson quote I'd shared in the last chapter, 'even a thickhead like me went whoa'. David declared, 'this chick's got moxie!' (read the A/Ns in the previous chapters) and told Hanson he'd work full time and do just about anything else if he cast Emily in the role.**

**Right. So truth be told, I finished this ages ago, but I wanted to get a little bit further before bringing the chapter to a close, especially since I'd kept you guys waiting for so long. Anyhow, I hope you like it. There's more to come soon. Very soon.**

**A/N 2: So I just went back and made a few quick edits to this chapter. Guys, if you spot any obvious errors-missing prepositions, names (the site loves swallowing those up), typos and the like-PLEASE point them out. For my (generally fragile) piece of mind, if not for your reading pleasure. :|  
><strong>


	6. SOS

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know it'll be a while before I post a new chapter. I'll have one up for Purak tomorrow, though. It would really speed things up if someone could find me a transcript for the 100th episode-I cannot **BELIEVE** that it's hard to come by. Well actually, I can. The best things in life generally work that way. Still, the more I (re) discover the dialogue and details of this episode, the more I'm impressed-not only by DB as a director and an actor, but by everything about the show, and how all the elements come together so well. Parts in the sum of a whole, indeed. It's ridiculous how good it is. Season 7 better pick things up again.

Anyway, thanks in advance to anyone who finds that script (because no way in _hell _am I **rewatching** it and fueling the addiction by getting on that emotional rollercoaster)

Love,

S


	7. The Prematuity in the End

Hey yall,

I thought it would be only fair to tell you that after I post this next installment, I'm going to be taking some time off from fic-writing. I have a lot of things going on right now - some pleasant, most unpleasant - and I just don't think I have the energy to create my own distractions anymore. But like I was telling Leshagen, don't despair - I'm just taking a hiatus from fic-writing while I pack my life up and move it to Canada in time for college, and then figure out what to do with it. Until then, I just wanted to say you guys have been amazing, and I don't know how to thank you for all the support and lovin'. :)

And another thing - if you could join me in my petition to get FF to allow its users to take down their own reviews, I would really appreciate it. It seems this fic has become popular enough to have its own Google search now, and while that's a good thing in some ways, I have this mildly annoying, highly obsessive friend who's snooping around trying to find these fics because I made the mistake of telling him they exist. Like I said in my email to the support team, if I can't find a viable fix soon, I'm gong to have to close my account and take down these fics - and I don't know if I'll ever get around to putting them up again. The worst part is that all your awesome feedback and words of encouragement will be lost in the process, too.

So please, help! Here's the email I sent to support at fanfiction dot com and support at fanfiction dot net (it's not even clear which of these is operational, if any) if you're interested:

Hi,  
>I have been trying to take down a couple of reviews I'd written a while back because I accidentally left my name tacked on at the end, but there just doesn't seem to be any way to do this-even with full cooperation from the authors. Two writers were kind enough to take down their stories so that the reviews would disappear. You see, I don't have the most common name so it would be very easy for someone to track down my profile or my stories if they just typed a few words on Google. I've tried reporting the reviews, as have the authors, but nothing seems to work. I even went so far as to change my penname, but the name changed on the reviews page as well, so that didn't help either. I don't necessarily want to remove the reviews altogether-just my name. If there is no viable way to do this, I'll have to open a new account-and lose all my existing reviews and followers. I really value the anonymity that the site provides, and I would greatly appreciate it if someone could help me out.<br>One of the things I like best about the site is that it protects the identity of its users, and for a number of reasons, I do not wish to continue posting without the assurance of anonymity. I believe that every user should have the right to control private information that is made available in the public domain, and in order for them to do this, they should be granted the freedom to take down or change any such information that they may have disclosed at an earlier date. Moreover, as we grow out of certain outmoded views and age brackets, our opinions tend to change and grow with us. Taking away the ability to change or replace a review will only deter readers from posting one in the first place. For these reasons and many others, I think it's about time the site introduced a mechanism that allows posters to take down old reviews - or modify them, at any rate. Don't stifle our enthusiasm and creativity by taking away the sense of liberation that provides us. For many of us, this a place that we come to escape, to forget, and to unleash our imagination in every sense of the words. We derive a measure of comfort in the very existence of the parallel reality that the site allows us to catch a glimpse of. Depriving its users of their anonymity or their freedom to change their own views goes against everything FF has come to represent. Please consider these appeals with the attention that they deserve, and take steps to bring about the necessary changes.

Regards,  
>S<p>

If any of you would like to join me in my appeal, dear readers, please copy and paste that last paragraph there, and send it in the form of an email to support at fanfiction dot net and support at fanfiction dot com. If you frequent the forums and message boards on the site, share these concerns, and garner support from other posters. Lurkers, please do your bit and help pass on this message. You should understand better than anyone the value of being allowed to read without the fear of discovery or judgement. If any fellow writers are out there are reading, please consider posting the final paragraph of the email in your own stories as well.

Thanks again! I love you guys, and I hope to see you soon.y


	8. Acting Parts in the Sum of the Whole

**SOMETHING I THINK EVERY BONES FAN OUGHT TO SEE. THE ORIGINAL PILOT SCRIPT: www dot tv – calling dot com slash scripts slash TV _ Dramas slash Bone 01 dot pdf**

**This was the working script when David first signed on to the show, agreeing to do only a handful of episodes – and that only if he got to pick the lead. (When it was called 'Brennan' - previously Bones). Then he met Emily. And everything changed. Hanson made the necessary changes (see the quote at the end) to the script, and the whole (new) feel of Bones was created. (Google Bones pilot transcript)  
><strong>

**Chapter 4**

**The (Acting) Parts in the Sum of the Whole**

**'Don't call me Bones'**

**-Bones**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey guys, I'm sorry it's been so long. I'll get straight to it. Here's a little preview of the last chapter so you know where we're picking off from**

_'So let me guess, you're the new lead.'_

_'I'm auditioning for the part, yes.'_

_'You've got it.'_

* * *

><p>'You've got it.'<p>

'Excuse me?'

Brennan looked about ready to hit something.

'I'm, uh, part of the decision-making process. You're hired.' He flashed her a smile that vanished as he turned to face her. 'What's wrong?' he asked, as his brow furrowed in concern.

It was a testament to how attuned to her he was that he'd noticed anything was off in the first place. Brennan had kept her voice quiet and controlled, but she had hardly shown any outward signs of displeasure, and it was unlikely that even someone like Angela who knew her well would have been able to spot something was wrong-even upon paying close attention. As always, she kept her features schooled and her emotions hidden behind an expressionless mask. And yet here was this man, this gorgeous man with whom she had barely exchanged two words, looking down at her with genuine concern in his eyes. It was driving her mad. She could feel her blood boiling. For his part, Booth had always been good at reading people, but even for him it was unusual to pick up on someone's shift in mood this quickly-and still more unusual for him to actually care. As it was, he was too concerned to give the matter - or his own feelings - any thought, and without once considering that it might be a little less than tactful to assume he had the right to inquire after the emotional state of someone he had just met, the words spilled out of his mouth. 'Are you upset? Brennan wasn't quite sure how to react. She wasn't used to being thrown off her guard like this. By an (admittedly _extraordinarily_) attractive man, at that.

'Is there anything-' suddenly, he froze. _Could it be something _he _had done? _No, she couldn't have noticed he was staring, or that his mind had wandered into less than appropriate territory more than a few times during the last couple of minutes. Could she? He must have been gaping like a fish when he first saw her. He could have kicked himself. _Idiot. God, I should have opened that damn file Goodman gave me and looked at the picture._ Not that that kind of beauty could be captured in a photograph. _That flawless skin, that perfect little nose, those slim bow lips, juicy red against her pale skin, that silky hair, those eyes…oh God, those eyes…_he felt his mouth going dry. _Focus, man._ He decided it didn't matter either way whether he'd done something or not. He had to apologise. Apologising was a surefire way to win any woman over. He turned to her fully, rubbing his hands together. _Large, manly hands,_ Brennan noted, as he steepled long fingers. _They really were most fascinating. She'd never seen a pair of hands like that in her life-snap out of it. Now! _'Look, I'm really sorry if I've done anything to off-'

Brennan crossed her arms and interrupted his reverie with a cool, level gaze. Ofcourse, her insides were feeling anything but cool and level. 'Mister Bo-'

_Apologising clearly isn't going to get you anywhere, buddy._

'Just Booth is fine.' He flashed her a small smile, his cocky bravado seemingly restored now that he could see there was no reason to worry and she was fine, if the bite in her tone was anything to go by_._

* * *

><p><em>Ugh. That arrogant, insufferable…<em>(gorgeous? her brain supplied helpfully)-man_!_

He was smiling at her charmingly-and looking ridiculously good doing it. Brennan couldn't help the automatic flush that rose to her face. For some reason this only served to infuriate her further. _Just who did he think he was?_

Well for one thing, he was the guy who could put an end to her aspirations of being a part of this new show. Or her career in show business, if Angela's effusive outpourings on the subject of his successes were anything to go by.

'Booth'. Brennan closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Booth struggled to get his own breathing under control upon hearing her say the name. He wondered what it tasted like, falling from her lips. He had a suddenly overwhelming, insane urge to find out. _What the hell is wrong with you? Snap out of it, man. _Unconsciously, Booth licked his lips and discovered his mouth had gone dry. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. He'd never felt so unhinged and grounded before in his life. _Be cool._

'Yeah?' His voice was thick and husky even to his own ears.

Brennan regarded him for a moment and tried again. She could actually see the tension radiating off of him - like he sensed that she was about to spring and he should be ready to react accordingly. He gulped as he continued to rock back on the balls of his feet, hands still stuffed in his pockets and hair slightly ruffled from the breeze blowing in from the open studio door. Somehow, he managed to make even that look attractive. _Well, atleast the grin had disappeared._

'If you think that I'd be willing to accept this part without an audition-' Just then, they were interrupted by a loud 'harumph', as a white-haired, pot-bellied man materialised at Brennan's elbow, standing far too close for comfort (hers or Booth's).

Surveying Brennan lecherously, he inquired, 'And who is this fine creature?'

Booth rolled his eyes and had to bite his tongue to keep from making a sharp retort. 'Miles Hasty, this is Temperance Brennan. Temperance Brennan, meet Miles Hasty. He's one of our network heads.' He worked to keep his tone civil even as his blood was boiling over at the way Hasty was looking at Brennan.

'Charmed, I'm sure.' Hasty reached out and lifted Brennan's hands to his lips, lingering just a moment too long. 'Did I hear you say something about an audition, dear? Might I ask which of our _many_ wonderful shows you will be doing us the honour of joining?

'Bones.'

'I'm capable of answering for myself, Booth.' Brennan's eyes flashed, and she turned to Hasty. 'I'm here to _audition_ for Bones.'

'Oh, the new show, then? Lovely, lovely. I dare say Mr. Booth will be most pleased to have the chance to work with such a beautiful young woman every day.' Before either of them could respond, he continued. 'Before your future costar whisks you away to read a scene, or whatever it is you actors do these days' – at this point, he interjected a fake laugh that had Booth ready to reach over and strangle him – 'I was wondering if I could have a word?'

Booth bristled instantly. 'Actually, we were just-'

'Sure.' Brennan sent him a quelling look and – somewhat reluctantly – allowed Miles Hasty to lead her away. She didn't particularly like the man, but she figured it wouldn't do to rub a senior network executive the wrong way on her first day on the job. Besides, she was annoyed with Booth's alpha male tendency of presuming the right to answer her questions for her.

'We'll be right back, Seeley boy', Hasty threw over his shoulder.

'And I'll be right here!' He called after them, gritting his teeth and curling his hands into fists inside his pockets. Hasty was a reputed slimeball who'd had more than one sexual harassment lawsuit slapped against him over the past few years, but somehow they had all been buried – under tons and tons of green, Booth suspected. Whether the rumours were true or not – and he very much doubted they weren't – he didn't want Brennan anywhere near the guy. *

He watched darkly as the pair continued their discussion a few feet away, just beyond earshot. And then suddenly, chaos erupted. In one swift move, Brennan had punched Hasty - in the face, no less. Twice.

_Wow._

'How dare you, woman! I demand an apology!'

'Alright. I apologise if I gave you the impression that I was looking for any favours, or that I am willing to perform any favours in order to get this role. I don't suppose you're going to offer me an apology for your unwanted sexual advances. Enjoy the broken nose.'

As the judge sputtered and spat, Booth quickly rushed forward and pulled Brennan away from the crowd of onlookers who had gathered to watch the spectacle and into the nearest dressing room, shutting the door behind them.

Biting her bottom lip, Brennan turned to him.

'Is this very bad?'

Booth let out the whoosh of air he had been holding and smiled hugely at her. 'I have been wanting to do that for years. You are so hot! That's great!'

She grinned at him then, a sort of lopsided smile that made his heart skip a beat.

'What did he say to you?'

Brennan shrugged. 'He implied that my chances of getting the part would be considerably higher if I slept with him. Except, you know, using more colourful words.'

'Sonofabitch'. Booth cursed and ran his hands through his hair. 'This isn't the first time this has happened, you know.'

'I don't see how your approach was much different.'

Booth, who had been pacing the room to blow off some steam and control the urge to go back out there and pummel Hasty to a pulp – _what was this woman doing to him, anyway?_ – turned to look at her confusedly and rubbed the back of his neck. 'What?'

'You have quite clearly never heard of me or my work before, and yet you wanted to give me the part right off the ball without even holding an audition first.'

_Unbelievable!_ Booth balked. 'OK, first off all, it's off the bat. And second, I never said asked you to have _sex_ with me!' _Not that I'd particularly mind – no, no, STOP. Don't go down that road. Do NOT go down that road. **_

'No, but you probably assumed that I would. I can't imagine any other reason you would offer a total stranger a lead role in a TV show.' Booth was about to respond when Goodman came rushing into the room.

'Oh, good. So I see you two have met.' Realising how dangerously close they had gotten - they were now standing nose to nose and toe to toe – the two of them hastily sprung apart. Goodman continued smoothly, addressing Booth first. 'Good thinking whisking her away, Mr. Booth. The press is swarming all over the place, but I don't think they got anything. Most of them work for the network, anyway, and they're just here to do a feature on the _show_-' He raised an eyebrow at Booth meaningfully as he stressed that last word, letting him know that show really meant _Seeley Booth_. Booth rolled his eyes as the older man continued, '-So I doubt it will be too hard to keep them silent. Your own entourage of reporters and paparazzi, Mr. Booth, has not been allowed inside the studio lot, as per your request. Ms. Brennan, nice to see you again.'

Booth just nodded and planted his hands on his hips. He looked directly at Brennan as he said his next words. 'She wants to _audition _for the part_._' Brennan looked back at him, chin raised in defiance.

Though by no means oblivious to the tension in the room, Goodman ploughed on, unfazed.

'Oh, yes. If you'll both follow me, I've set up an alternate venue for your audition.'

'You're still letting me try out for the part?'

Goodman frowned. 'Yes. I don't see why not. Now if you'll follow me, we can leave through this door in the back. It's fortunate that you chose this particular office, Mr. Booth. Even if it happens to be _mine._' His deep voice seemed to drop another octave on that last word, and Booth glanced around in surprise and realised that they were, in fact, in Goodman's office, and not in one of the dressing rooms as he'd originally thought.

'Huh. What dyou know.'

It seemed like this woman really did assault every one of his senses. He obviously couldn't even see straight when she was around. Shaking his head, he followed the other two across the medium-sized space to the door in the back, quickly reaching the door before Brennan could wrap her hand around the handle. She rolled her eyes at him and for some reason this only made him smile. 'Ladies first, Ms. Brennan'. He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she had to suppress a shudder at the look in his eyes and the way he said her name, with a slight mocking inflection and an underlying sexiness.

Brennan charged out of the studio lot and into the midday sun, catching up with Goodman - who was marching on purposefully ahead - in a few long strides. Booth, ofcourse, matched her step for step.

'Mr. Goodman, as I imagine that the head of the network must be less than pleased with me right now for rejecting his sexual overtures-'

'-and punching him in the face', Booth helpfully provided.

'And punching him in the face', Brennan acknowledged, 'wouldn't it be a…conflict of interest to cast me in one of your shows?'

'Ms. Brennan, I choose my actors on the basis of talent and suitability for the part. I believe you to be both extremely talented and suitable for the part. And while I am very sorry that our meeting was disrupted…by Mr. Hasty, I am even more sorry that the other young ladies who have been at the receiving end of his advances haven't had the courage or integrity to react in the same way that you did. So unless you've had a change of heart-'

Booth turned to her worriedly. 'You haven't, have you?'

'No.' Brennan sniffed. 'But I don't particularly like the idea of being involved in a show where a big movie star believes he can call all the shots only because he has the highest payroll.'

'You know, you could be a little nicer to me.'

Brennan sniffed. 'I don't appreciate your work ethic.'

'What? _My _work ethic? I'm not the one who showed up an hour late for my audition.'

'It was twenty minutes. And I would have been here in time if you hadn't insisted on a last minute change of plans to suit your schedule.'

'I have an important appointment at 4!'

Brennan gave a derisive snort. 'Yes, I'm sure she can't be kept waiting.'

Booth's jaw dropped. 'I have to pick up – never mind, you know, you probably don't have anyone in your life that you care about enough to feel a sense of responsibility or commitment towards them.'

'You're right, I don't value any ephemeral emotional connections more than my work.'

Booth gaped at her. 'Well in that case you should be thrilled when someone gives you an opportunity like I did! You should be jumping for joy right about now.'

'You offered me the part without even knowing my background or qualifications, simply because my appearance is in keeping with your definition of a sexy scientist.'

Booth turned slightly red at that, but recovered himself fully. 'Oh, I'm sorry. Which film or TV show were you in that noone's ever heard of?'

Goodman – whose existence had all but been forgotten - finally interrupted them. His eyebrows shot up in a rare display of surprise as he turned to Booth. 'You offered her the part?'

'Well, yeah.' Booth had the grace to look a little sheepish as he gestured vaguely, before his earlier temper returned. 'But now I'm not so sure I want her to have it!'

'Well, good! I'm not so sure I want it either!'

Attempting to interject a slightly calmer tone to the conversation. 'You should know, Ms. Brennan, that in addition to being one of our lead actors, Mr. Booth is also considering joining us as an executive producer. And one of the terms of his contract is that he approves the female lead who will be working with him.' *

'Oh.' Brennan blinked in surprise. 'Well, he should have mentioned that.'

'Maybe I would have, if you weren't so busy hurling accusations at my face and making ridiculous assumptions about my character without even knowing _my _background or qualifications.'

'The fact that you added an unreasonable stipulation to your contract doesn't really change anything, in any case. I was under the impression that casting decisions were made by directors, creators, and production teams. And _you_ are not even an executive producer yet.'

'You know what you are? You're a sociopath.'

'I am not a sociopath', Brennan replied, perfectly serious. 'I am a highly qualified actor with multiple degrees in drama and the performing arts, which is more than I can say for you.'

Booth's jaw ticked and he opened his mouth to retort, but Goodman beat him to it. 'Enough.' Turning swiftly in front of the double doors that they were now standing in front of, he addressed the two young actors currently locked in a standoff, unconsciously striking mirroring poses as they glared at one another, hands planted firmly on their hips. The director's tone was forcibly calm but almost like steel when he spoke next. 'Am I to understand that you two have had some sort of disagreement?'

'No.'

'Yes.'

Goodman drew in a deep breath and prayed for patience, reminding himself that the reason he was attempting to sign on two of the most woefully stubborn, strong-minded, and difficult actors he knew was that they were goddamn perfect for their roles, and no one else would ever be able to do what he hoped these two could pull off. If they didn't rip each other's heads off first.

'Is it anything that cannot be resolved?'

He waited patiently for a response. Booth looked at Brennan out of the corner of his eye as she did her own silent inventory. _It would be so easy to just go with one of the other hundred or so actresses who were falling over each other to land this role. But then again…Goddamnit, she's the only one who can do it. For me. With me. Whatever **it** is. Whatever it is, she's got it. _Finally-

'No.' They both muttered reluctantly.

'Alright then. If there is to no insurmountable obstacle or future impediment that will prevent you from working together, do you think we could proceed?'

This time he got two grumbled 'yes's.

'Very well then. Just give me a moment, I'll speak with the rest of the team and make sure everything is set up for your audition. Ms. Brennan, here's your script.' He handed her the bunch of pages he had been carrying. 'The scene you'll be reading for has been marked in red. Go over the lines at your own leisure. You may come inside when you're ready.'

And with that, he disappeared behind the twin doors, leaving Booth and Brennan standing outside.

Neither of them wanted to give in, but eventually Booth couldn't take the silence anymore. 'So…'

The corners of Brennan's mouth twitched triumphantly as he caved.

'So?'

'Aren't you going to take a look at that?' He gestured at the script.

'I took a copy home with me yesterday. I've already read through my bit.'

'Oh. OK.' _Why are we still standing out here, then?_

She glanced back down at her script, and he titled his head slightly so he could look in her eyes. 'Hey, are you nervous?' His voice was soft and gentle, and washed over her like a caress.

_God, he was so…ugh. How was she supposed to explain to him that she wasn't a helpless damsel in distress? Why couldn't he treat her like an equal, like the professional she was? She'd probably tackled more challenging roles on stage than he could even comprehend._ When she looked up and saw the genuine warmth in his eyes, though she bit back her sharp retort, and chuckled slightly instead. 'No.' _What is he doing to me?_

'Good.' He smiled at her, and she smiled at him, and then again, there was just one breath between them.

'You know, suddenly I like Bones. It suits you.'

'Bones is not my name'. She swallowed, lost in the warmth of his gaze. _Bones is not my name, really? _She could have kicked herself. Casting around for something to say, she opened her mouth and realised her throat was dry. Clearing it hastily, she tried again. 'Where- where does our scene end?' she looked back at the script, realising that she was feeling something akin to flutters in the pit of her stomach, but not because of the upcoming audition itself. 'Right…here'. He leaned over and pointed to a place on the page, and inhaled a breath of…her…in the process. _God. Mm. _They were so close. So close. He could almost taste her, feel her...they were almost touching. He _wanted_ to touch her. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her. _Wait, what?_ _Since when do you want to _hold _a woman you've just met? _Then he had to remind himself he didn't have the right to do any of those things. Even if it felt like he had. Since he had just met her and all. _Could I atleast reach out and brush her hair away from her face? And then maybe… _Just then, the doors opened, and they sprung apart hastily as Goodman joined them once more. Booth couldn't hear anything over the blood pounding in his ears. His body was confused, his brain was confused, and his heart…

'Are you ready?'

'Yes.'

'Alright. The audition room is right through here. Booth, here's your script. The usual drill. I'll be waiting outside with the rest of the crew, we'll be observing you through the window. Go.' Goodman was in full business mode now. Suddenly, Brennan remembered something.

'Oh, Mr. Goodman? I also have a friend who came in with me and I promised her-'

'Ms. Montenegro? Yes. Charming young lady. I understand she has been escorted inside by Mr. Booth's agent, Mr. Hodgins. She'll be able to watch with us from the other side of the glass.'

'Oh. Alright.'

'Chop chop.'

This time they stepped through the doors at exactly the same time, rubbing shoulders as they pushed past each other in the process.

'C'mon, Bones. Let's do this thing.'

'Don't call me Bones.'

Goodman looked heavenwards as he walked in front of them and went to join the rest of the team of producers, casting directors, and scriptwriters seated around the table. _This had better be worth it._

* * *

><p>And boy, was it. It was even better than he could have imagined. Wondering if it was just wishful thinking on his part or the product of his tired imagination, Goodman turned to the rest of the crew to see how they had reacted to it.<p>

'Wow.'

'Mindblowing.'

'Move over, Tracy and Hepburn.'

'This could change television.'

'Lightning in a bottle.'

* * *

><p>Heaving a sigh and finally letting his face split into a relieved smile, Goodman leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head.. 'Oh, yes. I quite agree.' He allowed himself a small, rumbling laugh. 'Oh, yes.'<p>

* * *

><p><em>Cut!<em>

Inside the room, the atmosphere was a whole lot different. For one thing, the two actors were a lot more...unhinged, for lack of a better word. Vaguely, Booth realised he was probably supposed to move away from Brennan. _No, you're not. Why would you do that? Move **closer. **Maybe the bad devil was the genius. _Ofcourse, considering they were now standing nose to nose and chest to chest – **_GOD, _**_this feels so good _– there wasn't really much space between them, anyhow. Brennan blinked up at him, and he couldn't hear anything over the sound of his ragged breathing – and her own panting breaths, which were turning him on no end as her chest heaved against his, or focus on anything other than immediate access to her lips. Their eyes met, and he was lost.

_What just happened?_

* * *

><p><em>'Senator Bethlehem, he's no killer.' <em>

The audition had started out like all the rest, with Booth sitting on his stool reading from the script. And then _she'd_ come in. The moment she entered the room, he stood, feeling an inexplicable pull as he was drawn to her. The little space felt charged, filled with…something.

_'Oh, and Oliver Laurier is?' _

And then she spoke and he automatically began moving towards her. _'Way I read Laurier, he's unhinged. That makes him dangerous.'_

_'That'd be your "gut" telling you that, correct?'_ The way she was looking at him, the challenging tilt of her chin, that sexy glint in her eye and the lopsided half-grin…

_'You know, homicides?'_ And then she was stepping towards him, instead of back, and he had her backed up against a wall, caged in and completely at his mercy – except somehow he was also at hers. '_They're not solved by scientists. They're solved by guys like me asking a thousand questions a thousand times, catching people telling lies every time. You're great at what you do, Bones, but you don't solve murders...Cops do.'_

At some point, their noses brushed, and they were standing ridiculously close. Their words were practically falling against each other's lips now.

_'Cleo Eller was killed on a cement floor sprinkled with diatomaceous earth. Traces of her blood will still be in that cement. One of us is wrong, maybe both of us, but if Bethlehem wasn't a senator, you'd be right there in his basement looking for that killing floor.' _He honestly didn't know whether to kiss her or throttle her, and she was still looking up at him, taunting - infuriating, enticing, exciting, intoxicating…and he was lost in those endless pools of blue. Hypnotised, and helpless. She was making his blood boil in all sorts of interesting ways, and there was nothing he could do about it. **_More. Just…more._** _'You're afraid of him. Your hypothesis is that squints don't solve murders and cops do.'_ She tilted her chin upwards. _'Prove it. Be a cop.' _And suddenly he had to prove…something. He had to be something. Everything she'd ever need or want him to be. He had to do it. He had to kiss her. He was breathing her in, and he couldn't take another breath without…

_'Cut!'_

Dear GOD. They were in an audition room. There were other people observing them. They were supposed to be acting.

_But were you?_

**_Fuck._**

00

Finally, Booth pushed off the wall and moved away from Brennan, heading over to the sound button on the wall nearest to him, and hitting it so that they had some privacy.

Brennan eyed him, still a little stunned and trying to get her breathing under control.

Finally, when he rubbed a hand over his face and turned to face her once more, she asked, 'How do you think it went?'

'Good'. Booth cleared his throat to remove some of the gruffness from his voice. 'Yeah. I think…it was good. You?' He cleared his throat again, and rubbed his hands together. 'What do you…think, I mean.'

Brennan smiled at his apparent nervousness. So apparently she wasn't the only one who had been affected by their…exchange.

'I think it went fine as well.'

'Yeah. You've definitely…you've definitely got the part. I think you nailed it.' He smiled back at her foolishly, and they both became lost in the moment. Then he realised they were still in the audition room, and – as appealing as the prospect was – they couldn't stay in there forever; they'd have to meet the rest of the crew at some point.

He wasn't ready to give up her company just yet. He wondered if he ever would be, for one reckless moment. _Are you insane, man? You just met her. _He forced himself back to the present. 'Hey, listen…' he paused, and gave her his best sexy half-grin, '_Temperance_, maybe we could go out for drinks after this, you know, discuss the show, and all that?'

Her brain had effectively stopped functioning the moment her name fell from his lips. **_Temperance._** She had to suppress a shudder. There was something about the way he said it, the way he was looking at her…She had never felt so out of control before. But she had to say something, so she said, 'I don't date costars.'

Booth grinned gamely. 'Then we won't make it a date. We'll even bring our assistants along if that'd make you more comfortable.'

'I don't have an assistant.'

'Really?' Booth looked surprised. 'Well, that's easily solved, too. I have someone in mind I think you'll like. You'll need an assistant if you're going to become a big TV star, you know.' His grin this time as he led her out of the studio booth and into the room on the other side of the glass seemed a little self-deprecating and a little sad, but it still tugged at her heartstrings.

'I don't think…'

'Hey, just meet him, will you?'

He smiled at her and gave her a small wink for only her to see as Goodman announced that the crew would have five minutes to discuss before they made their final decision. Taking his hand off her lower back, Booth said, 'I'll be right back. I have to go…' his eyes raked over her in unabashed appreciation, 'approve you.'

Brennan felt strangely empty without his touch, and off-kilter. Before she had time to process exactly what she was feeling, though, Goodman rushed up to Brennan. 'Ms. Brennan, that was phenomenal. I'd like to offer you the part straight away-' he grasped her hand and shook it firmly – 'but I'm going to have to wait for the rest of the team to talk it over first. A mere formality, I assure you.'

'Thank you, Mr. Goodman.'

'Thank _you, _Ms. Brennan. I have a feeling this could be the start of something special.' And with that, he released her hand and went to join the rest of his team.

00

'Hodgins!'

Booth called, walking out of his short meeting with the rest of the crew members.

'Hey, man. That was-' Hodgins' awestruck expression said it all.

'Yeah, thanks. Bring me that Zack kid, will you?'

'No, I mean seriously, that was just-'

'Yeah. Any idea where he's at? Is he rattling off numbers to some old exec who couldn't care less again?'

'And did I tell you, that Angela, she's Brennan's friend, and WOW, man. It turns out she's the singer from the bar last night! And you let me think it was some fat girl they didn't want to put on the cover-'

'Hodgins. Focus. Get me Zack.'

'Geez. OK, man. I'm on it.' Hodgins stopped his starry-eyed rambling, and narrowed his eyes at Booth. 'What do you want him for, anyway? You never talk to him. You specifically told me to make sure you never have to talk to him.'

'Yeah. Well. I've got a job for him.'

Hodgins' jaw dropped. 'You're not firing me, are you? 'cause you know, that whole Angela thing, I just got carried away-'

'Jack.' Booth rubbed his temples.

'And getting me to bring you my own replacement - that's cold man. I mean, that's-'

'Jack!' Booth placed a large hand on the shorter man's shoulder and squeezed slightly to get his attention. _What had this Angela done to him, anyhow?_ 'I'm not replacing you, alright? Will you just get him for me?' He exhaled impatiently. 'Please. I'll be over there by that table.'

'Oh, you mean where Brennan is standing?' Hodgins raised an eyebrow as Booth's gaze remained fixed on the figure standing across the room.

'Yeah – why do you keep calling her that, anyway?' Hodgins shrugged.

'Angela says she prefers to be called by her last name.'

'Right. Thanks, man.' Still not taking his eyes of Brennan, Booth clapped him on the back and proceeded to make his way over to the woman in question as Hodgins went in search of Zack. 'Actors', he mumbled under his breath, before rubbing his shoulder gingerly. 'Ow.'

00

'Hey, Bones.'

She turned around and smiled at him just as he spoke, as if sensing his presence.

'Hello.'

She had her arms crossed over her chest, and his eyes flitted briefly to her lips before returning to meet hers.

'So, they loved you.'

She grinned. 'I got the part?'

'You got the part!'

She squealed happily and threw her arms around his neck and he caught her automatically.

**_WOW_**_._

Two pairs of eyes slammed shut as he held her close, inhaling her scent and burying his face in her hair. _Mm._

_Surely I'm not the only one feeling this. I can't be. _He titled his face back a bit so that he could look into her eyes, and his breath caught. _Let's lose the assistants tonight, huh, baby? _His arms were still wrapped around her waist like twin bands of steel, and one hand was moving up to stroke her hair when Brennan forced herself to pull away. Reluctantly, but knowing that if he didn't do it now he wouldn't let go at all – and freak her out in the process, which was unacceptable - he released her. She seemed as surprised as he was at her impromptu display– in fact, she looked a little shocked at herself. Instantly feeling compelled to soothe, he flashed her a crooked grin.

'So there's someone I'd like you to meet.'

As if on cue, Zack materialised at his elbow.

'Mr. Booth? You sent for me?'

'Zack, my man.' Booth clapped an obviously shocked Zack on the shoulder. 'Meet Temperance Brennan. Your new boss.'

'Y-you're talking to me? You never talk to me.'

'Is that true, Booth?' Brennan raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed.

'Well, you know…' Booth trailed off and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. 'Bones, Zack here is working his way through college. He's…uh, well, I don't know what he is, really. Some of the network execs use him as a human calculator, and I…well, let's just say I don't have any use for him at the moment. So he just spends most of the day wandering around. Bored.'

'That's right. Mr. Booth used to have me approximate odds-ow!'

Booth squeezed the younger man's shoulder pointedly, and Zack stopped talking abruptly. 'Oh, yes. I'm not supposed to talk about that. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Brennan.'

'Just Brennan is fine. What's your major, Zack?'

Just as Booth opened his mouth to retort, he noticed Caroline Julian making her way from the entrance of the meeting room where the rest of the crew was ensconced, still spitballing and throwing around new ideas for the script changes that Goodman wanted to make. She looked pissed. _Uh oh._ * 'I'll leave you two to chat.'

Booth reached the door to the meeting room just ahead of Caroline, and held it open for her with a charming smile.

'Caroline.'

He just got a harrumph in response. _What is it with women today?_

Caroline stepped into the room in front of Booth, gaining everyone's attention in an instant. She barely waited for him to close the door before giving him a heart attack with her first two words. 'Fire her.'

_Wait, what?_

Caroline just looked at him and raised an eyebrow, and he realised he'd fairly squeaked the words out loud. He reddened as she turned to the rest of the room. 'Which one of you ham-handed eggheads decided to hire this girl in the first place, hm?'

'It was a unanimous decision, Caroline. And we stand by it', Goodman replied calmly, before Booth could open his mouth to formulate a response.

'Well, unanimously decide to _un_hire her, then.'

'No.' All heads swivelled to Booth once more – except Caroline's, as she continued to stare down the group of writers and producers. Booth looked around the table with bated breath, waiting in horrified silence for their response.

'I'm afraid we can't do that'.

_Phew. Damn straight. What he said._

Caroline just hmphed. 'You can, and you will. You don't do it, that's fine by me, but the show gets canned.'

'We'll take it to another network!' Caroline did turn to Booth this time, and while the rest of the team looked slightly surprised by his sudden enthusiasm for the show, Goodman just gave a small, pleased smile that was lost on him. 'You can't, Cherie, the contracts have already been signed. The writers have given up their rights to the storyline. See, this is why I sign the legal briefs and your sweet ass signs the autographs.' She turned back to the crew. 'Now which one of you has the final say in casting of this role?'

'That would be Mr. Booth.'

Slowly, very slowly, Caroline turned to look at him once more. Then she swivelled round to face the rest of the room. Booth swallowed. 'Excuse us.' Her voice was soft and dangerously sweet, and she grabbed Booth's arm and led him out of the room, standing just on the other side of the door. Booth winced in anticipation of what was to come.

'What is WRONG with you, boy? That woman punched a top network executive. In the nose! Twice!'

'Well, it was self-defense. Alright. We got a right.'

'Fire her! And cut all ties. If we're lucky, Hasty sues her and not us.'

'I can't do that.

'You forget, Booth, that I'm not just in charge of all the legal hassles of this show, I'm also _your_ personal lawyer. It is my job to protect that spotless reputation your fine little ass has. Now I'm sympathetic. I have let a pretty face lead me down the paths of unrighteousness - yours for example...'

Booth shifted uncomfortably and stuffed his hands in his pockets. 'Well, it's not like that…'

'Of course it is! Watching you two together is like being at prom – but it's not high school now, Booth. It's grown-up time. The beautiful actress is fired. She just doesn't know it yet. That oversight is what you must rectify. My advice? Get her drunk first.

'Me?'

**_Oh, no._**

* * *

><p><strong>*Right, we all know DB can be a bit of a bastard at times, and we know he cheated on his wife more than once, but I'm not buying into that sexual harassment lawsuit. There are pages and pages of endless litigation, with the network letterhead, but I can't bring myself to believe any of it. It's not just because I'd hate to believe it, but also because it's simply unbelievable. I hate to say it, but <em>look <em>at the man. I can't imagine anyone saying no. When you can have anyone you could possibly ever want, why want someone you can't have? It's also suspicious that the lawsuit was filed around the same time as the whole cheating scandal, when his image had just taken a hit, and it would seem more credible.**

****That was one of the terms that DB put forward when he joined the show - that he be allowed to pick the lead actress. And he had, before Emily arrived at the last moment, and he had a change of...heart.  
><strong>

**** Hanson really did make script changes the moment he saw those two together. He's said before that there is so much sexual tension between them, you don't need to write it into the script, but here's a more relevant quote: _'When we saw them together, we knew we had some chemistry. When we saw that, we actually changed the script. It was just a little more earnest before. There was less irony. We made it more about the two of them bouncing off each other, and that actually improved the script.' _More on that in the next chapter. The link to the original script is at the top of the page. **

**A/N: Right, so I'm not particularly happy with this piece, but I figured I might as well post it because it's been almost done for almost three months or so now. :) The next one, when I do get around to posting, should be a lot better. Love you guys, hope you have a good week ahead!**

**xx**


	9. Author's Update

**SORRY ABOUT THE DOUBLE POSTS, THE SITE KEEPS EATING UP MY WORDS!  
><strong>

**Note: There's a reason this is called an update. It's an update on the status of the story. NOT a new chapter. SPOILER warning past the first paragraph for people who haven't seen that premiere yet.**

OK, first things first. I just wanted to let you know this story will be moving forward as planned. Needless to say I've done the planning - but it's not necessarily going to be me that's moving it forward. Long story short, Boothaddict77 is now a collaboration between two people. Check my profile for details.

**Qualifier:** The purpose of this update is simply to let you know that the story will be continuing, but I may not be the one continuing it - it isn't intended to incite or offend anyone. The rest is...incidental. You don't have to read on if you don't want to. This has nothing to do with the fic and in many ways doesn't even reflect how I feel about the show. Believe it or not, I still love it, and I'm still looking forward to Season 8 (and DYING to know who Cam's new love interest is - we know it's someone we know, but with this whole 'he has a secret life that would fit in with his characterisation' thing I'm going to go with Geoff Stults, if they're brining him back, or Flynn, and not Clark who was my earlier choice. Any guesses?)

**Preemptive postscript:** Those of you who are less than happy with this post, you're entitled not to like my opinion just like I'm entitled to have it. I still love Bones like nobody else, and I'm still going to keep writing this story so you're more than welcome to keep reading. I write this fic as an outlet, and I use the platform it provides to express myself. And you're allowed to leave names along with criticism, I won't bite.I'm open to discussing things within a reasonable limit. That being said, if you want to read someone else's words, you have my blessing to go do that - you can't do it here, for obvious reasons, because I can't be anyone else. I'm just someone who's a little disillusioned with the premiere, and somewhat disappointed. I wish I had seen something different that the rest of you did, but I didn't.

**SPOILER**

On to the next order of business - the season premiere. It was _nice_, but...is the old magic ever going to come back? I mean, all Booth did was stand there and look (extraordinarily) pretty. Brennan kept their daughter safe, Brennan solved the murder, Brennan even did the investigative work (really, you spend three months doing nothing but looking for this guy who's taken your family away from you, and you don't notice he once had a high school guidance counselor who mysteriously disappeared right around the time he graduated?!It's bad enough they'e already made Shaw out to be a better Agent. Booth's special. We're Booth's people. Show us why. Speaking of Agent Shaw, I just watched an interview the actress did where she said about Napolean dynamite that she was glad they never did a second film because it was 'one of those once in a lifetime things, where everything came together and it was magic. That was lightning in a bottle.' Phrases almost identical to those have been used to describe Bones, with good reason. It's even better. But what the hell is happening? Majarino followed it up wit, 'We could never do that again. It's kind of hard when fans would ask, what's next, are you guys going to do something else and you have nothing to tell them?' And I realised I'd rather have nothing than this rubbish, because Bones - my Bones, that I love? That's magic.); Clark did the forensic stuff; Cam alerted the FBI to the murder (really Booth, you didn't get that either?); Angela deciphered the code and communicated with Brennan; Max kept her hidden (Booth almost fucked that up, too, by leading the murderer straight to them) Flynn used the FBI to catch Pellant. Hell, Booth didn't even hit the bad guy - Brennan did that for him as well (and Hodgins!) - or keep her safe. No, he trusted our annoying resident squint to do that. If you're not even the one with the gun anymore, what does that make you? All he did was snap the cuffs on Pellant, and (thankyou, Hart Hanson) take off his shirt. The worst part? The love scenes were so...stilted. I'm almost ashamed to admit that this is the show that's taken so many years of my life I'm never getting back. Seriously, the question running through my head all through (besides what the ****?!) was, is this honestly what moved you to write fanfiction? In the last scene there, David and Emily just looked like what they are - two very good friends with insane sexual chemistry which they're not allowed to do anything about because there's a line, and they can't cross it. And say what you want about this one - and there isn't much that you can - the premise for the next episode is ridiculous. It's a joke, really. The one thing that it isn't possible to do with the Booth and Brennan dynamic is remove the sexual tension from it. They're that couple that NEVER makes you wonder, even for a moment, if the spark will ever go out - you just know it's always going to be there, through conflict, strife, pain, and hardship. What the HELL is HH trying to do? This isn't good. Know your actors, shows try unrealistic in the opposite direction. Here they're pretending that something magical exists instead of pretending it doesn't. I'd rather write this story than watch the show. The direction was sketchy, the plot had holes in it, the writing was awful, the case ( which I hardly ever pay attention to) makes no sense (if they were able to link the sword to Pellant, I'm guessing it has fingerprints or some kind of trace DNA on it. If it has fingerprints and he has fingers, match them, goddamit!) And now I'm willing to bet they set Cam up with Clark. That'll just be the final straw, if they can't even get the little things right anymore. 'I-think-I-like-you-better-when-you're-blonde' - I wanted to SLAP him.

And then HH goes and says things like this, 'You know when you love somebody you try very hard not to blow, and then when you do…I think people who love each other are careful because they can really destroy the other person so easily, and especially these two. So they try very hard...She can be a very frustrating person. He is much more aware of how frail humans are and how frail she is than she is. She thinks of herself as indestructible and mighty. So imagine his temptation as a human being, to show her she's not mighty. And that's what he has to contend with all the time. And when she realizes that's what he contends with, it means something to her. That's the dynamic.' Bullfuckingshit that's the dynamic. I feel like he doesn't even understand Brennan, and he's supposed to have created her. I mean, OK, I get it if he has a man crush on DB and thinks he can do no wrong, but do you honestly believe that after he's been such a douchebag for over a year, Brennan is in the wrong for doing what they both agree was right and not incriminating him so he could continue to catch the killer (which he didn't, by the way) from inside the system? Jesus. He just sounds like he's defending a version of something that doesn't seem to exist anymore. Something incredible. 'You ever feel like you saw something great that almost happened, but it didn't?' That's Bones for you now - or alteast that's what it feels like. Go get your own show, Hodgins, and I'll be sure to watch that.

Please tell me, am I missing something here? Did anyone notice that Booth didn't do ANYTHING at all but look good in every frame? Has that become his sole function? 'cause you know, I'm OK with that, but if that's the case then there are plenty of David Boreanaz video montages on Youtube. And they don't make me wait a week - and what's more, they generally don't disappoint.


	10. The End in the Beginning

**AN: So this is the first chapter I've written for this story entirely on my own since taking over this account from its previous owner. Let me know what you think!**

**Follow me on my new Twitter at boothaddict77 for ficwriting updates and other tidbits.**

**NOTE: Dialogue in italics AND double quotes is from the show - that they are shooting in the story and as we know it.**

**DOUBLE NOTE: Dialogue is copied almost verbatim from the original Pilot script, working title "Brennan" (_previously "_Bones"). If you're a fan, you should check it out. Some bits are drastically changed since they were written before DB and ED came in and changed the whole dynamic. Booth arrests Brennan for impersonating a federal officer!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The End in the Beginning<strong>

**'She's good.'**

**'No, she's amazing.'**

* * *

><p><em>"These are human remains, ma'am. You are illegally transporting human remains. Not to mention you assaulted a Homeland Security agent."<em>

_"Look, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of your friends, but next time, you should have identified yourself before grabbing me" Then she turned and addressed Booth. "Step in any time."_

_A badge flashed. A book picked up off the table. "FBI Special Agent Andy Lister, Homicide Investigations Unit. I can vouch for Dr. Reichs. When victims' remains are too badly decomposed for a regular pathologist, we bring in Bones to make an identification."_

_An exaggerated eye roll. A coy smile. "Don't call me-"_

'I can't do this!'

One month. One month since that ridiculous earth-shattering life-changing kiss in the rain. One month since he'd last laid eyes on her. One month since everything he thought he knew had been flushed down a toilet bowl like none of it had ever mattered. Because only one thing did anymore.

_'Cut!'_

Drawing a deep breath, Goodman massaged his temples. 'What is it now, Mr. Booth?'

Booth flashed an apologetic smile at the blonde sitting at the table in front of the still-rolling cameras before making his way over to . 'Can I talk to you for a moment?'

'Ofcourse', Goodman replied solicitously, as if refusal was an option. He walked the few steps to his office and waved Booth inside. 'Is there a problem?' He shut the door behind him and turned to face the young actor who was pacing the room, a patient mask on his face. _Hole in the wall, cement. Torn paper, gluestick. Toilet bowl, plunger. Actors, patience. That's the way of the world, son, _his father had told him once, and Goodman recalled the words, in need of the reminder. _That's just how things work. _Booth turned to him as though surprised he was even there, hand resting on his chin.

'Yeah'. He massaged his temples, scrubbed a hand over his face. 'I'm just not…I'm just not feeling it out there.'

Calmly, Goodman raised a questioning eyebrow, making sure to keep his expression neutral.

'What are you saying, Mr. Booth?'

Booth turned to him, resolve written all over his face. 'I'm saying…look, I'm sorry, but I'm not doing this thing without her.'

Goodman didn't have to ask, but he did anyway.

'Ms. Brennan?'

'Yes.'

'You want to bring her back?'

'Yes.'

'Despite the fact that the network heads would be severely displeased?'

'Yes. Look, I know this Hannah girl's great at what she does, but she's not…she's not _Bones._'

'And you are aware of the fact that you're on a contract, which they will hold you to regardless of whether the fate of the show hangs in balance-'

'So they'll sue me for a mill. Big deal. I've got loads of those. I'm not doing it without her.'

'And you think we should risk everything to get her back?'

'Yes. And no matter what it takes-'

'I agree.'

'Look, Doc, I don't care if-what?'

'I agree, Mr. Booth.'

'Oh. Good.' Booth resumed pacing again and then paused and scratched the back of his head, addressing Goodman in an uncharacteristically uncertain voice that almost made the older man crack a smile. Almost. 'What do you suggest we do next?'

'Go over the heads of the major executives and straight to the boss.'

'You think we should talk to Cullen?'

'Oh, no, Mr. Booth. I think _you_ should talk to Cullen.'

'Right.'

* * *

><p>'Thought you said she wouldn't work with you anymore.'<p>

Sam Cullen leaned back in his chair and surveyed the man in front of him over steepled fingers. Seeley Booth. A young star with style, charisma, and –more unusual still– smarts, oozing with charm and endless potential. Hollywood's hottest property. Who now belonged to him.

'The last time we talked, she had a great audition but I didn't give her much credence.'

'Why not?'

'Because she's never done a role onscreen before.'

'Well, I wouldn't give her much credence, either.

'Turns out she's done a bunch of roles on stage, though, worked with some of the best-Webber, Sam Mendes.'

'Why haven't we heard of her, then?'

'She performed on West End. She's got a ton of wins and nominations, including three Laurence Olivier and some Critic's Circle Theatre Awards.'

'She's good.' He stated it as more of a question. What he was really asking was, is she _that _good? She must be, if Booth was willing to pull out all the stops for her like this, risking his reputation and a lawsuit.

'No, she's amazing. Only way I can get her back on my side is to pull out all the stops...I'm willing.'

Cullen stared at him silently for a moment, and Booth refused to flinch under the weight of his gaze. Finally, he said, 'Fine. She's on you. Take an unknown out in front of the cameras, she's your responsibility.'

'Yes, sir.'

One down, one to go.

* * *

><p>'Look, Caroline-'<p>

'Nuh uh, Cherie, it ain't gonna happen.'

'Ms. Julian', Dr. Goodman stepped in front of her smoothly with a serenely pleasant expression. 'Would you give us just a moment of your time?'

'Fine. But only because you asked so nicely.' She turned to face both men, arms crossed and foot tapping. 'This had better be good.'

They both looked at each other, and then Booth turned back to the intimidating woman in front of him.

'Well?' Soon Booth had explained the facts of the case to Caroline, as he had to Goodman a while ago.

_'Oh, no, Mr. Booth. I think _you_ should talk to Cullen.'_

_'There's one more thing.'_

_'You have my attention.'_

_'See, if Hasty finds out about us bringing Brennan back on the show and kicks up a fuss…I don't want her name to be dragged in the mud before her career even kicks off the ground.'_

_'What are you suggesting, Mr. Booth?'_

_'The last month that we had before shooting, I, uh, did some looking in into Hasty's previous offences. I spoke to an old buddy of mine in the FBI and I had him compile a file.'_

_'On Hasty?' Goodman took the proferred dossier and flipped to the page Booth indicated._

_'Yeah. And this one woman – this one right here? She's willing to testify that he assaulted her in the parking garage in this very studio lot. Turns out there was some accompanying footage from the security cameras, but it was discarded 'cause the case never came to trial.'_

_'What happened?'_

_'The usual. Hasty threated to fire her and when that didn't work he said he'd go after her kids.'_

_'Good God. Will he stop at anything? The man has no morals.'_

_'You can say that again.'_

_' ?' Goodman looked up from the document in his hands at the young man standing in front of him._

_'Yeah?'_

_'Do you mean to tell me you had a federal agent compile a file on Miles Hasty because he propositioned Ms. Brennan?' Booth simply swallowed. 'And you did some of the research personally, yes?'_

_Booth didn't respond, but the truth of his feelings for Temperance Brennan seemed to ring out in that one unspoken moment._

_'I just really want her in the show.' Booth shrugged, wanting to make it known that his motivation was professional, and to remind Goodman of that as much as himself. __**That's right. Professional. This is purely professional. Nothing to do with the fact that she's haunted your dreams every night since you first met her and the memory of that kiss has consumed every waking moment, and your subconscious has been overtaken by…yeah, OK, we get the point. **_

_'Ofcourse.'_

_'And also because, Hasty's, you know, a slimeball, and he should be spending the rest of his life rotting in jail with an overfriendly cellmate.' _

_'Too true, Mr. Booth. Too true.' They began walking towards the exit, ready to set their plan in motion and execute the first stages. 'You know, I have seen many instances where an actor comes to bear a strong likeness to his character, or atleast develop a few traits that help him identify with the role, but you have taken method acting up a notch, Mr. Booth. It seems you missed your calling. You would have made a fine Special Agent.'_

_As both men chuckled and walked out together, Goodman looked back down at the dossier. 'There are quite a number of young women in here. And the case you pointed out is particularly promising.'_

_'You know what they say, you get one confession and they all start coming out of the woodwork.'_

_'Yes, well. The evidence on this appears to be airtight.'_

_'And you'd know, right Doc?'_

_Goodman looked up in surprise and Booth just grinned at him, cocky bravado back in full swing. 'I already did my research on you a long time ago, Doc. I know you minored in law and finished top of your class, and even thought of taking it up professionally at one point.'_

_'FBI?' Goodman raised an eyebrow sardonically._

_'Nope. People.' Booth grinned. 'But don't worry, Doc. I don't think you missed your calling.'_

Back in the present, Caroline was reviewing the file before her, periodically shaking her head in disbelief – or Booth hoped that was the expression on her face, anyway. 'If you're wrong about this, my career is over. ' She looked up at him, snapping the file shut. 'And you'd better not be, because irritating a television mogul – very unwise.'

Booth barely managed to contain his excitement. 'So what, do the press release?'

'Do the press release.'

* * *

><p>Brennan was in New York when she got the call from a hysterical Angela telling her to get her ass down to L.A <em>yesterday<em>. Cam, too, had received a similar call from Caroline Julian, cutting short her two month vacation in the Caribbean. She had, however, managed to catch the news and a quick bite to eat when she went into the office that morning, unlike her other coworkers who were gathered in the conference room when she walked in.

'Yeah, but I fired her-'

Cam's head snapped up as she interrtuped Booth midsentence.

'You fired Brennan?'

'Yeah, Caroline made me. She punched a network exec right in the nose.' _And it was HOT._

'They got the network exec.' Cam handed over the latest file Sully had compiled – and brought over to her house when there was no reason at all to go to the trouble.

'They got the network exec! This is good news.'

'What did I tell you?'

'And this girl was sexually assaulted by him.

'Here's the evidence.'

'Oh, more stickman cartoons?'

'Yes, but, you know, you can jazz it up with computers before trial.' Booth pitched in helpfully. Caroline simply gave him a look that would have made a lesser man wither.

'Look at the evidence.'

'If you're wrong about this, my career is over. So, don't tell me to look at the evidence, because you know I'm going to look at the evidence.'

'And, you, reassure me.'

Yeah-yes. Cam and I, we-we did have Sull look at the evidence, and we all feel that there is enough here to get a warrant to arrest Hasty.'

'You fire this Temperance Brennan already?

'Yeah, of course.'

'Hire her back.'

'Okay.'

'And push come to shove, you be ready to testify that judge assaulted _you _if need be.'

'Yeah.'

'I'll have your warrant in an hour.' Booth stood rooted to the spot, feeling somewhat giddy. He was going to see her again. The prospect made him happier than he could recall being. He was over the moon. He was beyond ecstatic. He was floating on clouds. He was-

'So why are you still here?'

_Good point._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, there you have it. More to come soon, with some B and B climbing an olive branch. Remember, if you enjoy the story, don't be shy - SHARE. Share with your peeps or Tweet your friends in the Bones verse and tell them to follow me on Twitter at boothaddict77 and check out these stories! <strong>

**And please review? Believe it or not, reviews really do motivate us ficwriters. The last chapter of Purak received HALF the usual number of reviews :( And this story - only 79 reviews across nine chapters? I think I can safely say, without being biased by my friendship with old Boothaddict77 who wrote those chapters, that this is one of the better - one of the best stories in Bonesverse. I can only hope I'll do it justice in moving forward now that I've taken over. So please? I know it's New Year's and you're busy and all, but a review would be the nicest New Year's gift you could possibly give this ficwriter.  
><strong>


	11. The Stalemate in the Beginning

**AN: Why no, kind peeps, your eyes do not deceive you. This is indeed another update. R&R and there'll be more to come! And if you haven't read the last chapter yet - do that too. And don't forget. Reviews mean much love for me and for you.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Stalemate in the Beginning<strong>

**'I'm not an sociopath. I'm an actor.'**

* * *

><p><strong>'What? You want me to spit in my hand? We're Scully and Mulder.'<strong>

**'I don't know what that means.'**

**'It's an olive branch. Just get back in the car.'**

* * *

><p><strong>'Look, could we just...skip this part?'<strong>

****Sorry, I couldn't pick :P****

* * *

><p>'My name is Temperance Brennan', she was saying, in a bored monotone which somehow sounded better than music to his ears. He hadn't heard her voice in too long. 'I've been in London for two months, performing on stage. The passport happens to have been created for a character I was playing. It must have stayed in my bag. I haven't had the time to clean it out yet.'<p>

'Most people in this situation, what they do is they sweat it.'

'Globe theatre? 100,000 strong audience? How are you scary after that?'

'You know who doesn't sweat it? Sociopaths.'

'I'm not a sociopath. I'm an actor.'

'Who works at Fox studios. Which I'd maybe believe if you had ID that did more than allowed you access to the cafeteria.' He paused. 'You are illegally carrying a fake passport, ma'am. And you assaulted a Homeland Security agent.'

'Look, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of your friends, but next time, you should identify yourself before attacking me.' Suppressing a chuckle and forcing a more serious mien, Booth finally stepped in from the shadows.

Brennan turned around, as if sensing he had entered room. Her eyes widened in surprise and then anger as her quick brain processed the reason for his presence. And damn if that fire in her eyes didn't heat him up all over. 'What are you doing here?'

'You're back, baby!' He clapped his hands together, advancing into the room with a smile. 'Ha, ha! You're rehired!'

'But I've moved on.'

'I know, you seem to have been quite busy this last month', Booth held up the book in his hand, sauntering forward.

'I'm surprised you read.'

Ignoring her, Booth turned to the other occupant in the room, wanting to dismiss him as quickly as possible before Brennan raised a scene.

'Hey – it's Tom, right? Seeley Booth.' He flashed a smile and reached out to shake the slightly awestruck security guard by the hand. 'I'll take it from here. Bones is an actor in one of our new shows at Fox.'

'Don't call me Bones. And I do more than act.'

'She also writes books.' Booth slipped the one in his hand smoothly across the table.

Tom looked between the two of them, eyebrows raised. 'Fine. She's all yours.

'Great. Let's grab your bags, and let's vamoose.'

'What, that's it?' Brennan's jaw dropped in incredulity. '"She's all yours"? Why did you stop me?'

'What does it matter?' Booth interrupted quickly. 'You're free to go. Let's just grab your bags – click, click, cling, cling.'

She turned to him accusatorily, 'you set me up.'

'You never got a hold-for-questioning request from the FBI, did you?'

'I love this book', the guard grinned gamely, picking up the copy Booth had placed on the table.

And then he left, chuckling. Booth turned to Brennan with a grin.

'Come on.'

'That's the best you can do?

'What?'

'Getting Homeland Security to snatch me so you can stage a fake rescue?'

'It's good to see you too, Booth. I hope you've been doing alright. It's been a while. And how have you been?' _I've spent the last month in torturous agony obsessing over you, as well. _When Brennan simply huffed and turned away, resting her cheek in her hand and childishly refusing to answer, Booth sighed.

'Well, at least I picked you up at the airport, huh?' The silent treatment getting to him now, Booth pressed further. 'Come on, I mean, I went through the appropriate channels, but your assistant there, he stone-walled me.'

'Yeah, well, after the last meeting, I told Zack never, ever to put you through. He's a good assistant. Thank you for recommending him.'

Before he could say anything, she had grabbed her bag and stormed out the open door ahead of him. 'Bones- Bones, no. Please wait.' He managed to catch her just before she stepped through the corridor leading back to the main airport, and grabbing her arm, dragged her back into the room before hastily locking the door shut. He hadn't intended it that way, but the result was that she was pinned between him and the door.

'Look, don't- don't hit me, alright?' Luckily for him, Brennan was too unnerved by his proximity to make a response. Booth continued intently. 'But we step out there together, and there's going to be paparazzi swarming all over the place.' Brennan blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, her chest heaving as her breathing seemed to quicken. She hated to admit it, but a part of her _was _responding to Booth in a way that she found almost disturbing. He smelled divine, masculine and clean and _Booth_, and it appeared his seemingly perfect good looks hadn't been a product of her imagination. She hadn't imagined the unmatchable intensity of those soulful brown eyes, either. And the way he looked at her…_God, she had missed this. _Another voice, rational but not at all calm, interrupted the first harshly. _Missed him? Brennan, you barely know the man. You __**hated**__ him when you first met. You spent the last month trying to forget him – unsuccessfully, I might add, _the first voice chimed in. _This is not healthy. This is not rational. __**STOP IT.**_

'Bones?' Booth asked questioningly, his voice a few octaves lower as he fought to control his own response to her.

'I could just leave without you, you know. They wouldn't be interested in me.' _Actually, after the past two days, they would be, _Booth refrained from saying. But he sensed that she was ready to give in atleast a little, he pushed gently.

'Come on, Bones.'

Brennan didn't know whether to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck and crash her lips onto his, or to punch him.

She set her jaw in that way Booth had realised meant she was thinking things over, and he almost said the words out loud. _I've missed you so much. _

Finally, she said, 'Where's your car?' And he nearly sighed in relief.

'Just outside, in the lot. We can get out through the side door and drive away and no one will know.'

'Fine.' And she grabbed her bag and stepped out again, this time stopping just outside to let him lead the way.

00

'You can let me out anywhere along here.'

'All right, listen, Bones, I know you're upset, but atleast agree to meet with the team.'

They were in his black SUV with tinted windows, driving away from the airport.

'If you drive one more block I'm screaming "kidnap" out the window.'

'You know what? I'm trying to mend bridges here', _and busting my ass to do it. _Booth was slightly irritated now.

'Pull over.' He pulled the cars to a screeching stop by the pavement, tires squealing. 'With a huff, she jumped out of the car. 'I'm going home.'

'Great.' Booth muttered, hopping out after her. 'Could we...' he match her long strides with his own. 'Look, could we just skip this part?'

He noticed some stragglers turning their way in confused recognition as she turned to him, eyes blazing.

'I find you very condescending.'

'Me? I'm condescending?'

'I'm not the one who's got to mention that she's got multiple acting awards every five minutes.'

'I am the one with multiple awards.'

'Yeah, well you know what? I'm the one with the box office success and the most recognisable face in the country, huh?'

He chased after, pointing an accusatory finger. 'You know, you're not the only actress who wants this part.'

'And yet here you are, trying to get me to come back.'

_She was just SO…ARGH. _Booth sighed. 'What's it going to take, huh?

'Full participation in the show-making process.'

'Fine.'

'Not just acting – everything.'

'What? You want me to spit in my hand? We're Scully and Mulder.' _But we'll do it better._

'I don't know what that means.'

'It's an olive branch.' Booth shot back quickly, casting a slightly worried glance at the passersby who were not-so-discreetly trying to get a better look. He recognised the familiar telltale signs of uncontrollable excitement that followed a moment of bewildered wondering in their faces – and spelled doom for him. 'Just get back in the car', he pleaded.

Brennan looked at him for one more moment, her jaw set, and as their eyes met, he saw the exact instant she made up her mind and climbed back into the SUV, feeling an uncontrollable surge of happiness and relief as he climbed in his own side and drove them away.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sooooo...I'm setting the stage for something big. Wanna find out what it is? Review!<strong>


	12. The Forward in the Flashbacks

**UGH SORRY ABOUT THE REPOST, ALL PREFIXES (Mr., Dr. etc.) HAD BEEN EATEN UP BY THE SITE AND REFUSED TO REAPPEAR UPON FURTHER EDITING. ANY FIXES, ANYONE?**

**A/N: Hey, I know it's been a while, but I've been busy writing my new story, Not Seventeen Again. Check it out if you have the time, I'd really love some feedback. In the meanwhile, this is a longish chapter, so I hope you'll forgive me for the wait.**

**Note: All flashbacks are in italics, read carefully between the line breaks.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Forward in the Flashbacks<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>'Don't call me Bones. And I do more than act.' - Temperance Brennan<strong>_

**_'She also writes books.' - Seeley Booth_**

_**'Fine. She's all yours.' - Tom the Security Guard**_

_**[If only, right? - Me]**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>'I knew you wouldn't make me be a liar.' - Temperance Brennan [adapted]<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong><em>Hey, so you're afraid that when I look at you in the morning, I'll have regrets?'<em>**_

**_'That would never happen.'_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>'Do you need time and space?'<strong>_

_**'No. Just some time.' **_

'My name is Temperance Brennan', she was saying, in a bored monotone which somehow sounded better than music to his ears. He hadn't heard her voice in too long. 'I've been in London for a month, performing on stage. The passport happens to have been created for a character I was playing. It must have stayed in my bag. I haven't had the time to clean it out yet.'

'Most people in this situation, what they do is they sweat it.'

'Globe theatre? 100,000 strong audience? How are you scary after that?'

'You know who doesn't sweat it? Sociopaths.'

'I'm not a sociopath. I'm an actor.'

'Who works at Fox studios. Which I'd maybe believe if you had ID that did more than allowed you access to the cafeteria.' He paused. 'You are illegally carrying a fake passport, ma'am. And you assaulted a Homeland Security agent.'

'Look, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of your friends, but next time, you should identify yourself before attacking me.'

Brennan turned around, as if sensing he had entered room. Her eyes widened in surprise and then anger as her quick brain processed the reason for his presence. And damn if that fire in her eyes didn't heat him up all over. 'What are you doing here?'

'You're back, baby!' He clapped his hands together, advancing into the room with a smile. 'Ha, ha! You're rehired!'

'But I've moved on.'

'I know, you seem to have been quite busy this last month', Booth held up the book in his hand, sauntering forward.

'I'm surprised you even read.'

Ignoring her, Booth turned to the other occupant in the room, wanting to dismiss him as quickly as possible before Brennan raised a scene.

'Hey – it's Tom, right? Seeley Booth.' He flashed a smile and reached out to shake the slightly awestruck security guard by the hand. 'I'll take it from here. Bones is an actor in one of our new shows at Fox.'

'Don't call me Bones. And I do more than act.'

'She also writes books.' Booth slipped the one in his hand smoothly across the table.

Tom looked between the two of them, eyebrows raised. 'Fine. She's all yours.'

_She's all yours. They'd been in a bar, his old favourite spot, in a backroom that was rarely ever used except for VIP groups, and where he had never taken another soul._ He couldn't help himself from remembering that kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Leaning forward in his seat with a small smile, he touched his lips to hers. <em>_**Wow.**__ Holy shit. He'd never felt anything like it before. He hadn't known it was possible. It was like fire. Burning. Bruising. Uncontrollable. Only more intense. The kiss had gotten hot and hard and hungry without his permission, and still it was just a brush of lips. He was cradling the back of her neck and holding her to him as she kissed him back, he realised, when he finally released her bottom lip, painfully slowly, taking a break for some much needed air. She looked up when he opened his eyes and that was when their eyes met. __**I love you. **__Wait, what. Well, that should have sounded ridiculous. She looked like he was sure he felt. Dazed, breathless, desperate, and something else. Then she took her lip between her teeth again and his eyes fell to her mouth and he attacked.  
><em>

* * *

><p>'Great. Let's grab your bags, and let's vamoose.'<p>

'What, that's it?' Brennan's jaw dropped in incredulity. '"She's all yours"? Why did you stop me?'

'What does it matter?' Booth interrupted quickly. 'You're free to go. Let's just grab your bags – click, click, cling, cling.'

She turned to him accusatorily, 'you set me up.' She turned to Tom. 'You never got a hold-for-questioning request from the FBI, did you?'

'I love this book', the guard grinned gamely, picking up the copy Booth had placed on the table.

And then he left, chuckling. Booth turned to Brennan with a grin.

'Come on.'

'That's the best you can do?

'What?'

'Getting Homeland Security to snatch me so you can stage a fake rescue?'

'It's good to see you too, Booth. I hope you've been doing alright. It's been a while. And how have you been?' _I've spent the last month in torturous agony obsessing over you, as well. _When Brennan simply huffed and turned away, resting her cheek in her hand and childishly refusing to answer, Booth sighed.

'Well, at least I picked you up at the airport, huh?' The silent treatment getting to him now, Booth pressed further. 'Come on, I mean, I went through the appropriate channels, but your assistant there, he stone-walled me.'

'Yeah, well, after the last meeting, I told Zack never, ever to put you through. He's a good assistant. Thank you for recommending him.'

Before he could say anything, she had grabbed her bag and stormed out the open door ahead of him. 'Bones- Bones, no. Please wait.' He managed to catch her just before she stepped through the corridor leading back to the main airport, and grabbing her arm, dragged her back into the room before hastily locking the door shut. He hadn't intended it that way, but the result was that she was pinned between him and the door.

'Look, don't- don't hit me, alright?' Luckily for him, Brennan was too unnerved by his proximity to make a response. Booth continued intently. 'But we step out there together, and there's going to be paparazzi swarming all over the place.' Brennan blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, her chest heaving as her breathing seemed to quicken. She hated to admit it, but a part of her _was _responding to Booth in a way that she found almost disturbing. He smelled divine, masculine and clean and _Booth_, and it appeared his seemingly perfect good looks hadn't been a product of her imagination. She hadn't imagined the unmatchable intensity of those soulful brown eyes, either. And the way he looked at her…_God, she had missed this. _Another voice, rational but not at all calm, interrupted the first harshly. _Missed him? Brennan, you barely know the man. You __**hated**__ him when you first met. You spent the last month trying to forget him – unsuccessfully, I might add, _the first voice chimed in. _This is not healthy. This is not rational. __**STOP IT.**_

'Bones?' Booth asked questioningly, his voice a few octaves lower as he fought to control his own response to her.

'I could just leave without you, you know. They wouldn't be interested in me.' _Actually, after the past two days, they would be, _Booth refrained from saying. But he sensed that she was ready to give in atleast a little, he pushed gently.

'Come on, Bones.'

Brennan didn't know whether to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck and crash her lips onto his, or to punch him.

She set her jaw in that way Booth had realised meant she was thinking things over, and he almost said the words out loud. _I've missed you so much. _

Finally, she said, 'Where's your car?' And he nearly sighed in relief.

'Just outside, in the lot. We can get out through the side door and drive away and no one will know.'

'Fine.' And she grabbed her bag and stepped out again, this time stopping just outside to let him lead the way.

* * *

><p>'You can let me out anywhere along here.'<p>

'All right, listen, Bones, I know you're upset, but atleast agree to meet with the team.'

They were in his black SUV with tinted windows, driving away from the airport.

'If you drive one more block I'm screaming "kidnap" out the window.'

'You know what? I'm trying to mend bridges here', _and busting my ass to do it. _Booth was slightly irritated now.

'Pull over.' He pulled the cars to a screeching stop by the pavement, tires squealing. 'With a huff, she jumped out of the car. 'I'm going home.

'Great.' Booth muttered, hopping out after her. 'Could we...' he match her long strides with his own. 'Look, could we just skip this part?'

He noticed some stragglers turning their way in confused recognition as she turned to him, eyes blazing.

'I find you very condescending.'

'Me? I'm condescending? I'm not the one who's got to mention that she's got multiple acting awards every five minutes.'

'I am the one with multiple awards.'

'Yeah, well you know what? I'm the one with the box office success and the most recognisable face in the country, huh?' He chased after, pointing an accusatory finger. 'You know, you're not the only actress who wants this part.'

'And yet here you are, trying to get me to come back.'

_She was just SO…ARGH. _Booth sighed. 'What's it going to take, huh?

'Full participation in the show-making process.'

'Fine.'

'Not just acting – everything.'

'What? You want me to spit in my hand? We're Scully and Mulder.' _But we'll do it better._

'I don't know what that means.'

'It's an olive branch.' Booth shot back quickly, casting a slightly worried glance at the passersby who were not-so-discreetly trying to get a better look. He recognised the familiar telltale signs of uncontrollable excitement that followed a moment of bewildered wondering in their faces – and spelled doom for him. 'Get back in the car', he pleaded.

Brennan looked at him for one more moment, her jaw set, and as their eyes met, he saw the exact instant she made up her mind and climbed back into the SUV, feeling an uncontrollable surge of happiness and relief as he climbed in his own side and drove them away.

'Okay, writing can wait. So, let's go.' No response. 'What's the matter? Get your bags. Chop-chop.' Still no response. Is something wrong?'

'I find I'm annoyed with you.' Brennan finally turned to face him, and Booth walked closer to where she was sitting. 'Why, because I fired you and hired you back? It's the network!'

'No, because you got me drunk to fire me, and then have sex with me.'

_WHAT?_

'Whoa. No, I got myself drunk so I could fire you, and you decided not to have sex with me, which I accepted gracefully.' He paused, tugging on his collar and forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, which was getting her out of here, and not the memories and possibilities that were threatening to assault him at the mere mention of the word 'sex' from her lips. If she said it again, he was quite sure he was going to kiss her. Again. Unable to help it, he hedged, 'So, you're regretting that decision?'

'No. I'm not. It was a very good decision. I stand by it.' _Liar. _Her cheeks flushed with a telltale hue.

'What's going on, Bones?'

'Do not call me Bones.'

* * *

><p><em>'Do you think the show will air before the fall sweeps? Because if we're targeting viewers in the demographic-' <em>

_'No, Bones. Let's just stop talking about the case, just for one moment, all right?' he leaned closer and smouldered at her, and she instantly shut up, at a loss for words. That was strange. Temperance Brennan was never at a loss for words._

* * *

><p>He stepped closer to her and dropped his voice. 'Hey, listen, if you don't want to do this now-'<p>

'I've already assented to do this, Booth. I would not have accompanied you here if I had no intention on following through with our agreement.'

'Alright, so…the network heads are in there, we're out here, what's the problem?'

'Nothing. I find I am…inadequately prepared for this moment.'

'Inadequately prepared, how?'

'I know that my skills and reputation should be enough to ensure that I get the part, even with any rumours or scandal that may have ensued after I punched Hasty, but-'

'He doesn't work here anymore.'

'I-What?'

'The board, they, uh, held a unanimous vote, and he doesn't work here anymore.'

'Why?'

'Why what?'

'Why did they decide to fire him?'

'You mean, aside from the fact that he's an unethical slimeball with no redeeming qualities?' _who came on to you with a lewd proposition, which pisses me off more than anything?_

'Wasn't the decision a bit…sudden?'

She squinted up at him under the glare of the sun, scrunching her nose adorably as they stood outside the studio lot.

Booth sighed and stepped closer to her, invading her space and blocking out the sun. No use putting this off any longer.

'Look', he dropped his voice so that no one could hear them, even though the few stragglers wandering around the studio in the heat of the California sun were nowhere near them. 'You're not the first woman Hasty's tried to…take advantage of.'

'Oh?', Brennan asked, hardly surprised.

'Yeah, and over the past couple of weeks, a lot of the women on the receiving end of his advances have come out of the woodwork. And in most cases, it didn't stop at just lewd suggestions, if you get my drift.' He forced himself not to evade the issue by talking around it, knowing she was too smart not to make the connection herself. 'And the reason that they've been coming forward is that I, uh, outed him to the press.'

'Does this mean you anonymously shared your information with them, or you publically denounced him in person?'

Booth winced. _Why was she so smart?_

'Uh, the second one, mostly. But I had a friend do some digging, and there's enough evidence to make sure the charges stick. But, uh…'

'What is it?'

'Well, it's sort of hard to explain, really…'

Suddenly, Brennan was struck with a thought. 'Did you have anyone else back up your claims?'

'…No', Booth replied. 'See, that's the thing. All the women who have come forward against Hasty – you know, the ones with credible evidence in their cases who aren't just looking for their fifteen minutes of shame – they're willing to testify in a court of law, but they want to remain anonymous to maintain their privacy, which I totally get.'

'I'll do it.'

_Phew. But…_

'I kind of already said that you would.'

'Oh.'

'You're not mad?'

'No. Why would I be mad? Because you made a commitment on my behalf without checking to see if I would be available or in fact amenable to keeping it?'

'Uh…yeah.'

'Well, I am.'

'So you'll do it, then?'

'Yes.'

'Thanks, Bones.' Booth smiled.

'For what?'

'I know you're not doing this only because I said you would, but because-'

'Hasty's an unethical slimebum with no redeeming qualities?'

'Slimeball.'

'What?'

'It's slimeball', Booth grinned.

'Oh.'

'But thank you, Temperance. I knew you wouldn't make be a liar.'

Once again, the use of her first name on his lips made her shiver. It was thoroughly illogical, but also seemingly unavoidable…she couldn't help it. 'It appears as if I should be the one thanking you.'

'Why?'

'Why did you really do this, Booth?'

'Do what?', he stalled.

'Take such an interest in this case.'

'You mean aside from the fact that Hasty's-'

'A…a _slimeball_…yes.' She tested the word out.

'Honestly? Because I don't want him to get away with this. It's the right thing to do. And…'

'And?'

He looked into her eyes and decided to go with the truth. 'And I really want to work with you on this.'

Brennan looked down at her feet in a display of uncharacteristic shyness. 'I find that despite our differences, I would really like to work with you too.'

Booth smiled. 'Yeah?'

'Yeah.'

'Then let's go get 'em, Bones.' He opened the door to the studio and waited for her to step inside.

'I-I need a moment to gather my thoughts.'

'You OK?'

'Yes. I'm just feeling a little light-headed. I suppose it's the heat.' Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, she raised a hand to her head.

He leaned in even closer and gave her a soft half-smile. 'Is that your way of saying you have butterflies, Bones?'

'No… I do however have one condition for working on the show.' She paused and then frowned slightly. 'You can quite clearly see that I do not havebutterflies. How is it possible-?'

'Expression, Bones', Booth interrupted. 'So what is it?'

'What is what?'

'Your one condition. What is it?'

'That we revert to the original title, Bones.'

'Done.' Booth grinned. 'Anything else?'

* * *

><p><em>'Okay. Check this out. Huh?' He lifted his tie so she could look at the inside. 'Okay, I... am declaring my individuality. I am going rogue.'<em>

_'You have gone rogue.' She laughed. 'You're squeely-clean personality has taken a hit.'_

_'Squeaky clean.'_

_'No. Squeeley. Like Seeley, get it?'_

_'Okay, right. Ha ha. Very funny.' _

_He poured her another drink. 'Okay, here.' She tossed it down and he found his own throat was suddenly dry and it had nothing to do with the alcohol. 'You can handle your liquor very well.' And I suddenly find that a very attractive quality in a woman._

_'Well, this stuff is nothing compared to the bang I had to drink as a grad student in India. It's made of fermented cannabis.'_

_'Here's to bang.' _

_'To bang.' _

_'To bang.' *_

_'Mmm.'_

* * *

><p>Before Brennan could respond, a set of doors adjacent to the ones they were standing in front of flew open, and a thoroughly disgruntled looking blonde emerged, followed by a small posse of devotees bristling with admiration and platitudes. She threw a dirty glance back at the studio guards standing by the doors, and then spotting Booth, batted her eyelashes flirtatiously before walking away with an exaggerated flip of her hair and an exaggerated sway of her hips.<p>

'Is that…?'

'The girl they'd picked when they thought they couldn't get you? Yeah.'

'She doesn't seem too upset with you for your part in having her fired. Surely she knows you played a role in the decision making process…'

'Yeah, well.'

'She's quite pretty.'

'Yeah, I guess some people would say so', Booth shrugged.

'And Angela informs me she's gained a… credible reputation for herself in the television industry.'

'Yeah.'

'Why did you not want to work with her?'

Booth scratched the back of his head. 'I didn't not want to work with her.' _I want to work with you._

Brennan blinked up at him confusedly. 'I don't understand. Why did you have her fired then?'

He could have said it didn't matter, he could have said the decision wasn't his in the end, he could have said there were people waiting for them inside who really shouldn't be kept waiting. But something about Bones made him honest. She deserved the truth.

'Because she's not you.' His reply, honest and to the point, seemed to take her by surprise, but she simply looked at him and nodded as though she understood. _Because I met you first, and you're special. And no one but you will ever do._

* * *

><p><em>Ooh!' He laughed, and with the smile still on his face, 'you're fired'<em>

_'What?! Why? Because I drank bang? But that was in pursuit of scholarly research.'_

_He chuckled. **No, baby.** But wisely decided not to say anything out loud._

_She pouted at him, and he literally felt his heart stop. 'Why am I fired?'_

* * *

><p>They were snapped out of their moment when Brennan sneezed softly.<p>

'Bones, really, you just got off a long flight. If you need to rest before the audition, we can reschedule...'

* * *

><p><em>'You're fired because you assaulted a network executive.' <em>

_'No. You thought that was hot.'_

_'I did. I did. It was very hot', immediately. 'Okay? Cheers.'_

_'Mmm.' She downed another drink and he watched in fascination_

_'Hey. Yeah. If we don't work together anymore, then... we could have sex.'_

_'I'll call a cab.' Oh, wait. He was Seeley Booth. He didn't call cabs. 'I'll call a car.'_

_A car and a driver had pulled round back and were waiting outside when they stepped out._

* * *

><p>'I just need some time to structure my approach before we go inside. Feel free to proceed without me; I'll be right behind you', she raised a hand to her head and closed her eyes.<p>

'Do you need time and space?' He stepped closer to her. He wanted to tell her it had been weeks that they'd postponed the shooting, and one more day wouldn't hurt but somehow he knew not to press the issue.

She shook her head. 'No. Just some time.'

'Then I'm staying.'

* * *

><p><em>'Oh, hold on. Hold on. Hold on, listen. Hold that cab.' <em>_**Right, not yellow. Not a cab. Doesn't matter. I'm so drunk. She's so beautiful.**__ The rain was falling heavily around them, and the force between them was as impossibly irresistible as ever as he leaned down. 'Listen, I got something to confess.'_

* * *

><p>She nodded, not saying anything as she took a deep, calming breath. He had to physically restrain himself from wrapping an arm around her for support – and also because he just wanted to wrap his arms around her, but knowing she wouldn't welcome that he simply stayed close, just in case he had to steady her.<p>

* * *

><p><em>'Well, is it the fact that you're a direct descendant of John Wilkes Booth? I already know that.'<em>

_'Wait. Wait a second. How do you know that?' _

_'From your family history records. I played a princess in Jordan once, and I became quite close to some high-ranking members of the actual monarchy. My agent now has all coworkers screened. I have a very high security clearance.' _

_'J-Just keep that, um, under your hat, okay, for now, all right? Okay.'_

_'What I wanted to confess was…' She's so beautiful. So beautiful… 'See, I have a gambling problem, but I'm dealing with it.'_

* * *

><p>Booth looked her up and down, belatedly realising how dangerous that could be but not able to care. She looked slightly thinner than when he had last seen her, and just a little too pale. The change was barely noticeable to the casual observer, but his interest in her was not casual, by any stretch of the imagination. He hadn't forgotten a single thing about her. <em>I can't forget.<em> 'When was the last time you ate?' He asked softly.

'I…I think I ate something before getting on the flight.'

'Bren-' he stopped himself as he realised he was going to call her Brennan in his exasperation rather than Bones. 'That must have been atleast fourteen hours ago. You've got to eat.'

'Possibly. But I'm not a child, Booth. I don't require constant nourishment to boost my energy levels every few hours. I have a healthy metabolism.'

'Well, I don't care how spectacular your-' he raked his eyes up and down her form and unconsciously licked his lips, 'metabolism is, once we're done here, you and me are going to blow this joint and I'm going to take you to eat the best damn meal you've ever had.' *

* * *

><p><em>'Why did you feel you had to tell me that?' Every word was bringing them closer together, the distance between them disappearing with each breath.<em>

_'I don't know.' I know. 'I just feel like, um, this is going somewhere.' He leaned closer still, and she leaned up to meet him. He had to get closer._

_'Why did you feel like this is going somewhere?' Her lips were a breath away._

_He breathed almost onto her lips. 'I just... I feel like I'm gonna kiss you.' And then he did. **Perfect.**_

* * *

><p>...And that was when the metaphorical shit hit the fan.<p>

* * *

><p><em>'<strong>Wow'.<strong>_

_We are not spending the night together.'_

**_Anything she said._**_ Wait, what?_

**_'_**_Ofcourse we aren't. Why?_

_'Tequila.'_

_'Hey, hold-hold... Hold on. Hold on.' He'd run after her, rain-soaked and desperate. 'Hey, so you're afraid that when I look at you in the morning, I'll have regrets?'_

_That smile full of mischief, mystery, confidence, and promise that never failed to excite him. 'That would never happen.'_

**_That's true._**

_And then she'd slipped out the door, out of his life and into the rain, because she could hail cabs without being accosted in the middle of a paparazzi storm in west Hollywood. He would get mobbed out there.  
>The only thing she would get was wet. God, he wished he could just hold her. If sex want going to be on the cards, now why hadn't she left him that option? Because you don't go home and play lovesick relationship with someone you just met, jackass. He sighed. And then he didn't see her for two days. He hadn't felt the itch since he'd first seen her. He was miserable and he missed her insanely, but he hadn't felt the urge to gamble even once. He'd looked back at the old sign on the pool bar and it was like the decision had been made for him. He felt an altogether different kind of itch, though.*<em>

* * *

><p>And it was after their next encounter two days later that Booth wondered if he'd replaced one addiction for another-and one still more unhealthy because it was infinitely more powerful.<p>

She'd come back to the studio offices to see Dr. Goodman . He knew because he'd asked to be notified if she entered the building.

He ran after her and called out her name a few times but she didn't respond, just kept walking down the long corridor in front of them, her back turned to him. 'Bones! Bones! Where have you been? I've been trying to call you-'

'Mr. Booth.' _Ouch. So polite. That was not good._ She was wearing shades just like the first time he'd seen her that glinted in the light as she turned to him, hair whipping behind her, and he couldn't help the instant librarian fantasy that played in his head. 'Mr. Booth_ , what's the penalty for an overdue book?'_

He tugged at his collar and swallowed as she simply arched a brow. Now was clearly not the time.

'What's the deal, Bones?'

'Don't call me Bones.'

'Listen, I've been racking my brain and going crazy trying to figure out what went wrong, but I'm coming up empty.'

'I don't know what that means.'

Booth sighed again. Alright, then. Still more direct. Before he could open his mouth, she continued.

'If that's all, I'd best be going. I don't have time to talk.' She raised her shades and those eyes left him momentarily speechless.

'Then why are you here?'

'To collect my file from Dr. Goodman. It contains a number of original documents because I know some directors don't accept copies and assumed he was one of them.'

Slowly, Booth raised the file in his hand so she could see it. He had figured, but not hoped as much. He'd known she would come back to get the file. That's why he'd kept it.

'Oh. Thank you.' Again with that cold tone. And she wouldn't meet his eyes. She reached for it, and he closed his hand around hers. She gasped. Her eyes finally raised to look at him.

'Bones', he shuddered out, not immune to the magic of her touch. 'Please-'

A door opened loudly at the other end of the hallway and Booth cursed internally as Brennan snatched her hand away abruptly like she had just snapped out of a trance and realised the position she was in. They were standing right outside the exit to the parking lot. She had the perfect escape strategy to flee, and flee she did, as Booth knew she would. Before she could take another step he grabbed her arm to stop her. Given what happened next, in retrospect, that was probably the turning point that triggered the explosion. And that's when things really went south.

* * *

><p><strong>*In the mood for some Gordon Gordon-style counseling, anyone?<strong>

****I have it on good authority from old boothaddict77 that it's ****_bhaang _****and not ****_bang_****. All those yankees, eh? :P Not that we'd get it much better north of the border.**

***** I think one of the beautiful, understated moments of the show was when Booth was left standing in the rain outside the pool bar as Brennan drove off in the cab in Parts in the Sum of the Whole and then she turns back to look at him, a scene which they mirrored later in the fifth season, before, well, things really went south. We notice that he's standing there motionless for a while afterwards, and then he looks at the sign and walks away. There seems to be some sort of significance in this scene, and I know I'm not the only one who saw it. I feel like this might have been the turning point in his gambling addiction. It's symbolic in so many ways. Brennan makes him change for the better, and challenges him, right from the moment they first met.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Next chapter should come soon, in the meanwhile, let me know what you think! And do check out my new story Not Seventeen Again. Here's a quick summary for those of you who are interested:**

**_'What ever happened to seeing someone across a crowded room,eyes meeting,that old black magic gets you in its spell' ?He knows,right from the beginning. Seeley Booth meets Temperance Brennan and it's magic at first sight-only for him to realise she's still 17. He's...not. Will 10 years be overcome by immortal love, or will age come in the way of destiny?...Do *you* believe in fate?_**

**Have a great weekend! Cheers.**


	13. The Slap in the Face- In the Newspapers

**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long- it's just that I love writing this fic and don't want to force it when it doesn't feel right. ****** So many chunks are already written and there is so much I want to include in between that it doesn't always work out so easily. I promise more regular updates in the future, though! **Thank you all for your kind words and support; four reviews short of a 100 now- let's go all the way!**

**THANK YOU to the guest reviewer who pointed out the double-paste. It's been rectified!**

* * *

><p><strong>The Slap in the Face<strong>

**-That Made Its Way into the Papers**

She had handled the press statement with a dignity and poise that took his breath away and made him feel strangely proud. And then she announced that she would be the new female protagonist on the TV series, Bones, and the gathered crowd of reporters went wild as she stepped down from the dais, turning towards him with a confident smile where he stood on the sidelines – he had made a point to be invisible, because he didn't want to distract their attention from what she had to say. His speech had been short and to the point, only to introduce her- he had answered one unscripted question yelled at him at the end that pertained to her, and the studio's controversial hiring decision in the midst of all this publicity, on his way down the steps, but otherwise stuck to a policy of no-questions- _'Ms. Brennan is an excellent actress and I could not be more pleased with their choice. I look forward to working with her. Any questions bout me can be directed to my press agent. Goodnight.'_ But Brennan's speech, while anything but short, had been inspiring. Without giving any names, she expressed and incited sympathy for the other victims of Hasty's advances who unlike herself had not been so lucky in getting away. She spoke in a cool, collected tone about the unjust practices of sexual harassment at the workplace which many women in Hollywood had come to accept as an expected part of the environment. Perhaps too cool and collected for some, it turned out the next day.

**The next day...**

'SEELEY BOOTH!'

Booth gulped. He had been munching on a donut which he held in one hand and balancing a coffee cup in the other, and waiting for _her _to arrive. That voice, that angry tone could only belong to one person – Caroline Julian. _Not Temperance Brennan._ He chewed and swallowed quickly, gulped down some of his coffee to clear his dry throat, then turned slowly to face the lawyer on a rampage heading towards him with a huge smile.

'Caroline'.

'Oh, don't you even think of charming your way out of this one, Mr. Movie Star-'

'Caroline…maybe you should tell me what happened, huh?'

'What happened? I'll show you what happened.' And she thrust something into his chest. He looked down. A rolled up wad of newspapers. That was never good. This time he had a feeling it was worse.

Calmly, he opened the first one, and frowned instantly.

**_'Temperance Brennan…seemingly eloquent but almost unfeeling… disturbingly calm given the ordeal she went through… rather a cold fish…'_**

_What the fuck? That was surprising. Were they blind? Unfeeling his - _But it wasn't the end of the world. He read on.

**_'Seeley Booth, looking rugged and handsome as usual, hair spiky and wet as if he had just stepped out of the shower-' _**he had, much to the dismay of his make-up artist Cora who was hardly ever allowed to touch him before public appearances. He frowned as he came to the next line.

**_'...the action star turned vampirish heartthrob referred to his soon-to-be leading lady only by her last name in an uncharacteristic display of formality and gravitas, leading reporters to wonder whether there might be some ice between the two that has yet to thaw. The ever-friendly and affable Booth seemed less than forthcoming on this particular occasion and...'_**

Jesus. He'd said only one line about her and it had been all praise, and this is what they'd gotten out of it? Something wasn't right about this. The press had seemed to lap up everything she had to say afterward. But never mind, he could always set the record straight... No use getting worked up about this- and he wondered why Caroline was, when she was usually the voice of reason about these things.

'So they thought she was cold, so what? This is just – _**oh**._'

He opened the newspaper and there was a picture of them, right there on the front page, glaring atop article that took up the rest of it. A picture of them in the parking lot.

'Yeah, _OH_.'

A picture of her slapping him in the parking lot. He winced.

Well, that explained everything. They hated her- and because she had hit him.

'Mr. Booth. Ms. Julian.' Dr. Goodman appeared in the corridor just outside his office, his deep voice even and sombre. 'It appears there have been some new- developments with the press.'

The director paused only a moment before settling on the word. In truth, he was slightly nervous- though he hid it completely, of course. This could spell bad things if the whole issue wasn't resolved quickly.

'Damn right there have been some new developments-'

'Ms. Julian, please. We are all rational – and might I remind you, resourceful – adults, I'm sure we can reach a quick resolution that will adequately satisfy all involved with this…situation.'

'What situation?' Booth had looked up the moment she entered, and the other two turned to face the owner of that husky voice he loved so much as she spoke, too.

'Morning, Bones.'

He smiled at her – he couldn't help himself – in spite of the warning glare from Caroline that the action prompted.

She blinked at them once before Booth greeted her, then turned the most beautiful smile on him.

'Good morning.'

His heart, which had stopped, started beating again at a dangerously furious pace.

The other two stared - somewhat incredulously - at the exchange. Booth and Brennan stared at each other. It was civil-but-charged, but undoubtedly civil. Even Goodman was slightly taken aback, but he could have been overcome by silent relief at that point, knowing it was fully behind them- whatever the hell it was this time.

Caroline raised a sardonic brow. 'What, you two don't wanna exchange any blows this time? Throw some punches?' she gestured magnanimously. 'Don't stop on our account.'

Brennan's brow furrowed, and she automatically turned to Booth for an explanation, nose wrinkling cutely in confusion.

'Blows?'

'Oh, yes', the lawyer trilled sarcastically. 'I hear you have quite the right hook. Everyone's talking about it, and I'd _love _to have the chance to see it in action for real this time. Personally, I would prefer it if you could get it out of the way now, so we don't have to worry about the assault charges later. Where there are no witnesses.'

'What is she talking about?' Brennan questioned confusedly.

Booth rolled his eyes at Caroline's dramantics (a word he had come up with inside his head to describe her drama + antics).

'Nothing.'

When Brennan continued to look confusedly curious, he showed her the newspaper all the same before Caroline could break the headlines in a still more unpleasant way. They all paused for a beat as she looked at the paper in his hand which she automatically reached for, and then she raised her eyes to his before she opened it.

'Is this very bad?'

'No', Booth replied instantly, licking his lips and leaning closer to intently convey his meaning and reassurance.

'YES!'

'No.' He moved closer to her and took her elbow gently. Luckily, Caroline didn't make any remarks about potential assault charges.

'Look, don't listen to Caroline, alright? These things happen, and they blow over all the time. There's no need-'

He was interrupted by a surprisingly - and lethally- calm, 'Why don't you open the paper and see for yourself, Cher?'

Biting her lip, Brennan unrolled the paper as Booth handed it to her with a sigh. She opened it right onto the photograph of them – the large, granulated black and white photograph, but undoubtedly a photograph of them, that covered most of the top. The photograph of her slapping him across the face. She looked up at him, an almost sheepish unreadable look in her eyes, lip caught between her teeth, and then he chuckled slightly as she cracked a small smile, and the amusement in the situation caught up with them. They started to laugh.

'Have you two gone crazy?! You're _laughing_ about this? This could end your career, and you're _laughing_.'

'Caroline-'

'Ms. Julian-'

'I don't know you, but-'

'That's right, and nobody knows you either. Keep this up and nobody ever will. You, your career's barely begun. And you, boy, this could _end_ the career of your fine ass.'

'Is that true, Booth?'

'No.' He raised a hand to his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'That's just how she talks sometimes.'

He rolled his eyes at Caroline again- this time she caught it.

'Don't you sass me, young man.'

'What happened to all publicity is good publicity?' Brennan piped up, lightly waving the newspaper that hung limply in her hand. 'I thought people loved this sort of thing in Hollywood'.

Caroline redirected her ire on this new subject.

'Oh, scandal sells baby, but the commodity has got to already exist – and Booth, Booth is lining shelves all over the country. You, on the other hand-'

Booth interjected once more. 'Caroline, it's really not a big deal, I'll just talk to a few more reporters-' he spat the word distastefully- 'and I'm sure the whole thing will just get sorted ou-'

Now you listen here, you're not talking to _anyone _without my-'

_'Ms. _Julian', Goodman interjected smoothly. 'If you would come this way, please, so we can all _confer_ in _private_.' He placed a hand on her shoulder to steer her in the opposite direction, trusting his actors would follow.

The moment they had some privacy, Booth turned to her. 'Hi', he said softly.

'Hi', she smiled right back, breathtakingly beautiful, and he couldn't look away.

_You look beautiful._A booming voice from down the corridor interrupted them, making Booth flush before he could get out the next sentence. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

'If you two are done making gooey eyes at each other, would you follow me and the good director so we can get this business sorted, please. You heard the man. We're going to go someplace else so I can yell at you in private.'

Brennan sighed, and Booth turned to follow her down the corridor, one hand resting on the small of her back to guide them forward in the right direction.

'We're just waiting for the security guard to bring us the tape from downstairs', Goodman announced as they entered the empty room, bare of any furnishings or decoration save for the large flatscreen mounted on the far wall.

'Is he the one who leaked the tape?' Brennan questioned.

'No', Goodman responded. 'But we managed to identify the perpetrator, and he has been let go.'

'Did he have to be fired?' Booth winced. He knew how hard it could be to work a 9-5 job with no decent payment or appreciation, surrounded by successful snobbish bastards (like you, his mind reminded him painfully) who couldn't give a shit about all the little men walking around without any claim to fame or status. He knew how tempting it could be to be offered a large sum of money to share an inconsequential detail about the lives of these people, most of whom thought you weren't worth a moment of their time or even a second glance. Hell, the offer of a large sum of money had been what got him into acting in the first place, hadn't it? Ofcourse, he'd never have ratted someone out or shared intimate details of celebrities' personal lives for money, no matter how foul or despicable their personalities, but he'd become one of them instead. Sold his soul, in effect, and wasn't that worse? He felt like he would be able to confide all these things to Bones, for some strange reason – not today, perhaps- it wasn't the right moment – and maybe not in the immediate future, but over time. He felt like she would understand.

A security guard entered the room only moments after them, snapping Booth's attention back to his surroundings (and away from Bones), and the young man made a valiant effort not to look around at them all, but failed not to cast an awe-filled gaze around the room quickly, before turning to address the director.

'Uh, Mr. Goodman, sir, here's the tape you requested.'

'Ah, yes. And just in time. Thank you, Charlie.'

Charlie nodded and scurried off, resisting the impulse to take another look around the room. His gaze flickered helplessly to Brennan, though, staring at the wall with her arms crossed and an intense look of concentration on her face. Booth rolled his eyes but kept from saying anything else. Temperance Brennan really was something. He could hardly blame the guy for being hopelessly drawn to her when he felt the same way. He exhaled heavily inspite of himself, causing Charlie to look at him- he glared quietly without realising it and raised an eyebrow coolly, and the guard coloured and quickened his pace. Brennan turned to look at him at the sound, though, and their eyes locked. **God. **Neither of them noticed or atleast registered his exit.

'Right, then. Shall we begin?'

Their eyes snapped to Goodman who moved briskly towards the screen in front of them, and Caroline simply harrumphed silently in a corner, not saying a word. Booth registered somewhere in the back of his mind that this could only mean bad things for the rest of them, but Goodman had popped the tape in and as the screen in front of them came to life, Booth moved automatically closer to Brennan.

'What are we watching again?'

Goodman answered her, stepping back from the screen to watch with them.

'The security footage that was leaked to the press, Ms. Brennan. Thankfully, they weren't able to detect any audio from this, and I doubt we will either.' Caroline remained silent in her corner of the room. Booth wondered if someone looked closely enough, they could see her emitting fumes.

He stepped closer to Brennan, invading her personal space now.

The security footage played out- granulated and fuzzy- ending with a resounding slap that they couldn't really hear but seemed to echo through the room anyway. The audio was choppy and full of white noise, but they could imagine every word as if it had just happeed.

_**'**Let go of me!' _

_'I will if you would just-'_

_'Ow! What the hell?!**'**_

_'You are a bully! You- you grab my arm just like Hasty, you use your looks and your status to intimidate people!'_

_'Really? The way you use your theatrical background and acting chops to make people around you feel stupid!'_

_'Well you are a stupid man! I hate you!' _

_'Oh, you hate me? What are you ten years old? I'm not your dad!' _

_**'**I will never work with you again!'_

_'Who asked you?!'_

The video paused.

Booth and Brennan fought and lost the impulse to look at each other. They looked away quickly, facing forwards. Brennan pursed her lips and covered her mouth and Booth desperately tried to force his lips not to twitch upwards by thinking of press junkets and taxes and any other boring thing he could think of.

'Well?' Goodman turned to his stars, remote raised in one hand as hit the pause button. 'Is there anything either of you would like to say about the incident?

They looked at him, back at each other, and then back to him again- then shook their heads in coordination.

'Very well, then', Goodman continued. 'I think we can all agree that another press conference is in order. It will be made clear that the issue has been resolved. You will both announce that there is no lingering animosity between the two of you and-'

'VERY WELL?' Caroline finally explode- spoke. 'VERY WELL? THAT'S ALL?'

'Is there a problem?' Goodman's eyebrows shot up.

'You're damn right there's a problem.' Caroline stepped forward, even more formidable than usual in all her wrath. 'She-' here she pointed a finger at Brennan. 'Punched him'- indicating Booth. 'In the face, seemingly unprovoked. Her second charge of instigated violence in two days, might I add. My client could sue her for assault.'

'Uh, Caroline, I think you'd need my cooperation for that', Booth was forced to pitch in.

'Well, Ms. Julian, surely there can be no need for Mr. Booth and Ms. Brennan to disclose any details that may be private-' Goodman cut in. He was an intensely private man, and the epitome of professionalism, and Booth respected that- but Caroline cut him off and rounded on Booth instead.

'Ohhh, I'm not done with you boy.'

He raised his hands in supplication, and Goodman's eyebrows rose once again. Though his expression remained neutral as ever, Booth thought he saw a glint of something- could that be amusement?- in the stoic director's eye as he snapped the disc case shut where he stood in the doorway.

'Very well then', Goodman spoke. 'Since you obviously have things to discuss, I will leave you with my actors. Ms. Brennan, Mr. Booth'.

Booth thought he saw the same flicker in the diretor's eyes for just a moment- and just like that, he was gone.

Caroline's attempts to extract any sort of explanation or chastise the two young actors into feeling ashamed for their behaviour and spilling the beans were to no avail. They both presented a united front and remained frustratingly tight-lipped. Finally, she huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose to stave of an oncoming headache.

'I think we can all agree it would be in his interests-' she jerked a thumb at Booth- 'and yours, and my own, that I represent the mutual interests of the both of you', Caroline huffed out finally. 'I have this _strange_ feeling you're going to get yourselves in all _kind_ of scrapes that you'll have to be dug out of together, and it's no use dealing with either of you alone. Lord knows no other human being deserves to be subjected to these sorts of lameass explanations _twice over_.' She hmphed and looked them up and down. 'Why I'm volunteering for the position, I don't know.' She pointed at one, then the other. 'This had better be _good.'_

And with that she left them standing alone in the room once more.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Welll? Let us know what you think by sounding off in the comments below. Also, I have recently taken to Twitter, so I will be posting all information on new fics and new chapters of old fics on the account. If you'd like to have a say in what gets updated next, or you want the DL on upcoming fics and updates, or you just feel like striking up a conversation and sharing some Bones love, feel free to follow me boothaddict77!**

**Take care and be well!**


End file.
